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Facebook Hires Gowalla Founders

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FacebookFacebook, the world’s largest social network, has hired Gowalla co-Founders, Josh Williams and Scott Raymond, one of the groundbreaking firms that established the concept of checking in with cell phones in real world locations.

Facebook has its own location features embedded on to its social network and has added to this the technology acquired in the acquisition from Gowalla. At by the end of January next year Gowalla’s services are set to shut down. Facebook on Monday, in a statement said that while talking with the Austin based social network they released that they share similar aims like making great networking products, making impacts quickly and innovation.

The social networking firm, which is facing tough competition from Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) said though they are not acquiring technology or service from Gowalla, they are sure that over the Gowalla’s inspiration will make way into Facebook. A spokesperson from facebook refused to give further details like on what product or service the Gowalla crew would work on in Facebook.


In 2009, Gowalla and Foursquare were released in the same week, a challenging location services on social network startup. However, both companies delivered away for users to broadcast their locations to friends by using their cell phones to check in at real time formations, such as restaurants and coffee shops.

But Foursquare’s services were more quickly adapted than Gowalla services and the number of users paced, which Gowalla was not able to catch up with. When Facebook in August 2010 launched its own location features it named it as places.

Josh Williams, co-founder of Gowalla, in the company’s official blog said that the firm would provide a simpler method for users to export their information like photos posted on the service, which is set to shut down soon. He added that Facebook will not be acquiring user data from Gowalla.

Facebook also announced the acquisition of mobile application form Gowalla, the cost of the acquisition is undisclosed. The application facilitates people to share their favorite places and locations among friends.

Last month Facebook acquired Strobe and MailRank, in a bid to expand it smartphone services. The deals amounts were not revealed. Strobe provides technology that facilitates developers to create and also distribute applications that run devices like tablets and smartphones, while MailRank is a firm that prioritizes emails so that users can focus on the linked content.

Following the deal Gowalla will shut down services as an independent firm by the end of January, however Facebook did not disclose the financial terms of the merger deal.

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edliston
Post Written By: Ed Liston

Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications. He is widely quoted in various financial publications on the Internet. When Ed is not writing about stocks, investing in stocks, talking about stocks, or otherwise doing something stock related, he likes to go sailing and fishing in his yacht.


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Ed Liston

Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications. He is widely quoted in various financial publications on the Internet. When Ed is not writing about stocks, investing in stocks, talking about stocks, or otherwise doing something stock related, he likes to go sailing and fishing.

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