We’ve covered news relating to both the Facebook app as well as the popular WhatsApp client for Windows Phone on WinBeta for quite some time now, so it came as a surprise earlier today to hear that Facebook has acquired WhatsApp for a whopping $19 billion in cash and stock. Thankfully, users of the popular messaging service are promised that this acquisition will not create any major changes.
“Facebook today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire WhatsApp, a rapidly growing cross-platform mobile messaging company, for a total of approximately $16 billion, including $4 billion in cash and approximately $12 billion worth of Facebook shares. The agreement also provides for an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp’s founders and employees that will vest over four years subsequent to closing,” Facebook revealed today.
Facebook revealed today that the acquisition has to do with bringing more connectivity and utility to the world, by delivering core internet services efficiently and affordably. This acquisition is expected to help accelerate growth and user engagement across both companies.
Facebook also revealed that over 450 million people are using the WhatsApp service each month, with 70% of those people active on any given day. WhatsApp is also reportedly adding one million new registered users every day. Now that’s just amazing!
“WhatsApp will remain autonomous and operate independently. You can continue to enjoy the service for a nominal fee. You can continue to use WhatsApp no matter where in the world you are, or what smartphone you’re using. And you can still count on absolutely no ads interrupting your communication. There would have been no partnership between our two companies if we had to compromise on the core principles that will always define our company, our vision and our product,” WhatsApp stated today.
The WhatsApp brand will remain and WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum will join Facebook’s Board of Directors as a result of the acquisition. WhatsApp already has a successful and quite popular app available for the iOS and Android platforms, as well as the Windows Phone platform.
Have you used the WhatsApp client for Windows Phone? How do you feel about this acquisition?
