Responding to the rumors that it was negotiating a billion dollar sale to Google, WhatsApp business head Neeraj Arora says they are not in sales talks.
The rumor, from Digital Trends last week, came from a single ‘inside source’, something that’s always hard to confirm. There are many reasons why Google might want to buy a successful messaging service, but the main one is obviously that they lack a messaging service like that offered by Facebook. Currently Google chat is integrated with Gmail and Google Plus, while Facebook has a standalone messaging app similar to WhatsApp.
Why WhatsApp would want to sell is harder to understand. It’s one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, even though it’s not free (as some Android users are only just discovering). They have a fantastic established base, and it’s not clear how becoming part of Google would help the company develop.
In fact, as Reader fans have found out, being bought by Google is no guarantee of survival, if the search giant loses interest in your technology.
[via AllThingsD]
