WhatsApp has to be one of the more popular instant messaging apps around and we guess we can say that it is a competitor to other instant messenger apps, such as Facebook Messenger. As the adage goes, if you can’t beat them, join them, or in this case, buy them. Facebook has announced that they will be acquiring WhatsApp and will be paying the company a whopping $16 billion in cash and stock, with an additional $3 billion in restricted stock for WhatsApp employees that will vest over a period of four years until the deal is finalized. This was confirmed in a press release from Facebook and WhatsApp, along with a document that was filed with the SEC. The deal will also see WhatsApp’s co-founder and CEO, Jan Koum, joining the Facebook Board of Directors.
So what does this mean for you and me? Well thankfully nothing, at least for now. According to WhatsApp’s announcement, they claim that nothing will change for the users and will be autonomous and operate independently, which we guess is somewhat similar when Facebook acquired Instagram as the service is still free of Facebook branding or design changes. After all, why fix what ain’t broke, right We’re not sure if Facebook might make some changes in the future or perhaps integrate Facebook Messenger with WhatsApp, but for now it seems that everything will proceed as per usual. However with Facebook’s brand, reputation, and strong financial backing, it will be interesting to see where this will take us. One thing is for sure though, and that is Facebook has now staked a claim on yet another major part of how you use your phone.