Facebook Bought Glancee

Mon 7 May 2012 12:30, Vitto Christaldi

Last month, Facebook bought the popular mobile photo-sharing app, Instagram. The acquisition costs $1 Billion (I know right? $1 Billion! Wow). But hey, Facebook is not easily satisfied; even after owning Instagram! So what’s next, Facebook? Let me introduce you to Facebook’s new toy: Glancee!

Glancee is basically a location service app that enables mobile users to locate and connect people nearby based on common interests. The app was created in 2010 by Andrea Vaccari, Alberto Tretti, and Gabriel Grisé. Glancee was, according to Mashable, one of the top three buzziest startups at at SXSW 2012 event, standing next to similar-but-not-the-same apps: Highlight and Sonar. They said Highlight actually got the most buzz, followed by Glancee and Sonar during SXSW 2012, but somehow Facebook sees something more in Glancee than the attendees of SXSW 2012. Yet, the price of the acquisition is disclosed.

So what is the plan, Facebook? Is Facebook going to adopt Glancee’s features in Facebook mobile app? Will you get push notifications for it then? Isn’t it annoying? Imagine yourself at a party and you always get this similar notification saying “Our system detects (name) has been standing next to you in the last half an hour. Here is her Facebook profile. ADD HER AS A FRIEND!” Facebook goes creepy indeed!

The question is “What is next, Facebook?” Facebook has what I called “shopping-compulsive-disorder”; I believe Glancee is for sure not going to be the last company they buy! Location-based-service (Gowalla): CHECK! Photo sharing app (instagram): CHECK! Social discovery app: CHECK! Which type of social media will join next then? Do you think these mega-acquisitions will strengthen Facebook?

Related to what I have just asked, I stumbled upon this nice reflection article from Forbes called “Here's Why Google and Facebook Might Completely Disappear in the Next 5 Years”. You also might want to read it.

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