Facebook WhatsApp $19 Billion: Facebook Is His Favorite Communications App, What Will Zuckerberg Do With Low Profile WhatsApp?
Facebook is arguably the number one social networking site with Twitter, Tumbler and Buzzfeed trailing behind. But Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg feels that his social network is the best communication app.Zuckerberg just acquired WhatsApp, a popular communication messenger that is common among young people. Reports tag the deal at $19 billion, signaling the success of Facebook during a tough economy.
Initially, Zuckerberg had an interest to strike a deal to buy Oculus VR, but he changed his mind and opted for WhatsApp, a low profile app compared to Skype and Google Hangouts. Analysts speculate that although Zuckerberg has no immediate plans for WhatsApp, he is probably thinking about creating a more sophisticated communication tool on Facebook. A guess of course.
CEO of the virtual-reality headset maker, Brendan Iribe, was in discussion with Zuckerberg but he didn't have Facebook downloaded, so he suggest using WhatsApp and the deal was sealed on WhatsApp, according to Iribe.
Bloomberg.com reported, "Zuckerberg's addition of WhatsApp to his deal-making repertoire illustrates what many people know to be true - that there isn't a dominant mobile messaging app. People find themselves installing multiple ones to communicate with different people. Even the CEO of Facebook needs more than one."
Iribe and Zuckerberg and other executives at Menlo Park, California, where they will discuss the trasition in greater deal. When they're not chatting at meetings, Iribe and Zuck will be using WhatsApp and the Facebook CEO will be typing out long paragraphs.
"But after a while, it's like, maybe we should just call each other", Iribe says in a Bloomberg news report. Their discussions about the deal came alive after Facebook announced the $19 billion acquisition.
