Social network thought to be circling above to make a swoop for mobile messaging app.
BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) was a big USP for RIM a few years ago, with users delighted to send messages and media for free without using their text messaging allowance.
However, copycat services soon hit the market, demonstrated with Apple's iMessage and Samsung's ChatOn, while WhatsApp has become perhaps the most prolific option due to its global cross-platform reach, and it's this that has likely caught the eyes of Facebook.
The social network has been on a wild acquisition spree lately to strengthen its mobile division, and TechCrunch reports that Facebook is in talks to make a bid for WhatsApp. The service costs $0.99 and is ad-free, which would give Facebook a new mobile revenue stream.
WhatsApp was serving 1bn messages a day across 750 networks and 250 countries back in November 2011, and it's probably safe to assume figures have grown along with the smartphone market since then.
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