From Instagram to WhatsApp: A Snapshot of Facebook's Acquisitions (Infographic)Facebook has spent billions acquiring companies over the years. Here's what it bought, and why.
ByCarly Okyle•
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Back in July 2007, Facebook made its first acquisition when it bought Parakey for an undisclosed amount of money. The company has continued to buy up other sites in the years since -- most notably, messaging service WhatsApp for a final price of $22 billion.
The reasons for the acquisitions vary. In some instances, the software of another company would improve a user's experience on Facebook -- the "like" button came from FriendFeed, for example. Other times, Zuckerberg and co. want to bring more talented staff aboard or snuff out potential competition.
Check out the infographic fromWhoIsHostingThisbelow to get more details on what it takes to be successful at the business of social networking through mergers and acquisitions.
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Related:Facebook Reportedly Building "Facebook for Work' to Compete With LinkedIn, Google
