Looks like Facebook wants to be the one and the only. In a recent press release on Facebook Newsroom, Facebook announced the acquisition of the most popular Messaging app WhatsApp. WhatsApp is growing huge and currently have 450 million active users out of which 70% are those who are active on a given day.
The acquisition is worth $19 billion including $4 billion in cash, $12 billion worth of Facebook shares and $3 billion to be granted to WhatsApp founders and employees. Here’s what Mark updated on his profile about the acquisition.
WhatsApp will continue to operate independently within Facebook. The product roadmap will remain unchanged and the team is going to stay in Mountain View. Over the next few years, we’re going to work hard to help WhatsApp grow and connect the whole world. We also expect that WhatsApp will add to our efforts forInternet.org, our partnership to make basic internet services affordable for everyone.
It is clear that they won’t be making any big changes or integrations in the near future. But it is sure that Facebook will try to somehow merge its Messenger and WhatsApp.