Gowalla to close as a separate service in January, Facebook and ramps up the service before floating

Facebook confirmed that it is stepping up its assault on the location of potentially lucrative share of the market with the acquisition of Gowalla, which closes as a separate service in January.

Gowalla application has been downloaded millions of times by users of iPhone and Android happy to share their location and check in restaurants, cinemas and cafes around the world.

Josh Williams, co-founder of Gowalla, announced the acquisition of a Monday night blogpost.

"We know many of you dear Gowalla," said Williams. "It was the highlight of our life we ??have built with their help over the last two years as we move forward, I hope some of the inspiration behind Gowalla -. A fun way to share your trip beautiful everywhere - live in Facebook. "

The measure is the most important acquisition of Facebook in the last year and comes as a social networking service ramps before a planned public offering and in the wake of new competition from Google +. The acquisition will put pressure on the Foursquare, which is now more rapid exchange and growth instead of smartphone applications with 10 million users in July.

team high Gowalla - including Williams and his fellow co-founder, Raymond Scott -. He will join the design and engineering team rapidly expanding Facebook in January "In talking with the Gowalla team, we realized that we share many of the same goals: to build great products that reach millions of people, making a big impact quickly and creating new ways for people to connect and share what is happening in their lives, "said a spokesman for Facebook. "While Facebook is not the acquisition of Gowalla service or technology, we are confident that the inspiration behind Gowalla make their way into Facebook over time." Williams said in the blogpost that he was "shocked" by the recent expansion of Facebook, and integrate the nearest place with members of the media including the Guardian, Spotify and Deezer. "A few weeks later in Facebook called, and it became clear that the way our team has the greatest impact was to work together," said Williams. "We are very pleased to announce that we will the trip to California to join Facebook. "

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