Social media giant, Facebook Inc is acquiring finish mobile internet data plan startup, Pryte in an undisclosed deal which is set to be finalised by the end of the month. With Pryte, Facebook hopes to make it easier for smartphone users in under developed countries to make use of wireless internet applications.
Pryte which was launched over a year ago, is working with telecommunication companies to offer bit-sized by-app data pricing rather than buying data in bulk.
The Helsinki-based startup Pryte in an official announcement on Tuesday stated that Facebook has acquired its business for an undisclosed sum. The company said that it is “delighted” with the acquisition and that it plans to work with the world’s largest social network to “bring people online in a profitable way.”
With Pryte not having released any product into the market, Facebook is however interested in the team headed by CEO Markku Makelainen and Pryte’s relationship with working with wireless operators in emerging markets. The Pryte team will join Facebook’s Internet.Org initiative to deliver efficient, affordable internet to less developed and non connected areas
Similar to Pryte’s offering, Opera also have a product called Web Pass, which is also aimed at emerging markets and allow operators sell time based data to users based on the use of the app, instead of the bulk way of purchasing data.
The initiative can be traced back to the Facebook Zero initiative which Facebook in conjunction with Network carriers, which users access a striped version of the website on low end devices at a zero cost. And also acquiring Snaptu in 2011, making different versions of the website available for low end phone users.
Facebook Chief Executive, Mark Zuckerberg has highlighted the fact that connecting the 5 billion people around the world through the Internet.org initiative is one of the organisation’s priority going forward.
The founding members of internet.org — Facebook, Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera, Qualcomm and Samsung.
