instagram

The only thing hotter than Instagram? Pinterest

I wanted to do a comparison of other companies that are likely big acquisition plays, like Instagram just was today for Facebook. As I was constructing my list, it became clear that while there are a lot of very good companies that could easily get acquired for hundreds of millions of dollars, few have the same, critical values that Instagram has. And not just to Facebook. There's really only one startup that emerges as most Instagram-like: Pinterest. All the others are battling for position as distant followers.

Facebook bought Instagram, it appears, because it offered a unique combination of … Read more

Facebook-Instagram deal raises new privacy worries

Facebook's planned acquisition of Instagram is already raising privacy concerns, despite chief executive Mark Zuckerberg's pledge this morning that he wouldn't simply "integrate everything" into the larger social-networking site.

Twitter has been deluged with Instagram users turned insta-quitters, who griped: "I hate Facebook and the lack of privacy now I have to remove my pics before I can't." And: "You know what Instagram was missing? Ads and privacy invasions. All it took was 1 billion dollars to make that happen." Traffic is spiking to Web sites that let you leave … Read more

Instagram and the Zuckerbergian plan for global conquest

If we needed another reminder that Hollywood and history often have an arm's length association, consider the Mark Zuckerberg who Aaron Sorkin created in "The Social Network." That celluloid Zuckerberg was a callow nebbish who didn't really know what Facebook ought to be and needed Sean Parker to get him to think seriously about the possibility of greatness. Facebook's move today to acquire Instagram offers a film critic's biggest argument why they ought to send the storyline back for a rewrite.

Some describe this deal as an inexpensive way for Facebook to compensate for churn. … Read more

Facebook buys Instagram...but for what?

There's a lot of speculation today about why Facebook would spend $1 billion to acquire the uber-hip photo-sharing app Instagram. To some, it seems obvious; to others, it's the biggest sign yet of a growing Web bubble. To me, it just raises question after question, and the biggest one is "why." What does Facebook gain from buying Instagram? Let's look at some of the possible reasons, shall we?

Users: Instagram has 30 million users and a potentially huge influx of more, thanks to its recent expansion onto the Android platform. Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom says … Read more

Instagram: How to go from zero to $1B in under two years

Co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger started out with a straightforward but ambitious mission when they launched Instagram: "To change and improve the way the world communicates and shares."

And now they have done the unimaginable: Gone from zero to $1 billion in just 18 months, as the startup -- valued just last month at an already fat $500 million -- is selling itself to the powerhouse that Mark Zuckerberg built.

The $1 billion figure and the speed to get there sounds ripped right from the headlines of 1999. And the news is sure to have app makers … Read more

Instagram deal: Just the start for a new Facebook

This January at CES in Las Vegas, Facebook's platform partnerships guru Justin Osofsky shared a vision with me of a future in which Facebook is everywhere -- yes, even more than it already is.

But who would have guessed that could mean Facebook would purchase a tunnel directly into other social networks?

That's just one of the many things Facebook bought with its billion-dollar purchase of Instagram today. … Read more

Facebook hits a tired tech playbook: The rollup

Facebook is acquiring Instagram for $1 billion, covering its flank on mobile photo sharing and ensuring that it'll have user growth its first few quarters as a publicly traded company.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, said in the announcement today:

This is an important milestone for Facebook because it's the first time we've ever acquired a product and company with so many users. We don't plan on doing many more of these, if any at all. But providing the best photo sharing experience is one reason why so many people love Facebook and we knew it would … Read more

Will Instagram users quit now that Facebook owns the app?

Until last week, Instagram was exclusive to iOS users. Dubbed the No. 1 app in the App Store last year, its popularity soared. On April 4, it was finally made available to Android, and I wrote about the disturbing undertone of the reaction from some iPhone users.

After today's news, I wondered how those iPhone users feel now that their precious photo-sharing app is not only open to their OS rivals, Androiders, but all 845 million active Facebook users.

Facebook used to be about exclusivity, but now it's almost the antithesis of that: anyone of age can join, and it's free. Will that curdle iPhone users' blood? If Instagram's cool factor was threatened by Android, the massive Facebook population uploading filtered pictures would be even worse, right? … Read more

Why Facebook plunked down $1 billion to buy Instagram

Facebook, the largest photo-sharing site (and social network), announced today that it's buying Instagram, the wildly popular mobile photo-sharing app for smartphones. Quick analysis pegs this as a very strong tactical and strategic move for Facebook.

The key win for Facebook here is mobile engagement. Instagram has rocketed to 30 million users in under two years. Facebook has had a mobile app for years but it doesn't have the user love that Instagram does. By acquiring the best-of-breed mobile app -- at least in terms of audience development -- Facebook both takes out a future competitor and grows … Read more