Facebook has bought FriendFeed, a start-up that allow users to share links and status updates online, folding in a potential rival that struggled to take off. Terms of the transaction–Facebook’s second–were not disclosed, said the Wall Street Journal. FriendFeed was founded in 2007 by four former Google software engineers, as a way for users to share links and updates across social media service–like Facebook and Twitter–at the same time. But it never expanded far beyond a core group of Internet professionals, particularly as other services like Facebook made it easier for users to update multiple services at once. The company said all 18 FriendFeed employees, including the four founders, will join the company–a big boost to Facebook’s engineering talent. The acquisition comes after Facebook last year failed to acquire Twitter, which like FriendFeed, allows users to share links and content online.
Facebook Acquires FriendFeed
Facebook has purchased FriendFeed after failing to acquire Twitter earlier this year.
August 11, 2009