Facebook收购WhatsApp的乾坤一掷
Facebook Inc. said it will pay $19 billion in cash and stock to acquire smartphone-messaging app WhatsApp Inc., a deAl that further emphasizes the social network's mobile push.
Facebook Inc.宣布将以190亿美元现金加股票的方式收购智能手机即时通讯应用程序开发商WhatsApp Inc.，凸显出这家社交网络公司正大力推进移动业务。WhatsApp allows users to send text messages free over the Internet, bypassing wireless carriers that may charge users to send messages over their networks. Texting apps are especially costing wireless carriers, which for years relied on the services for the bulk of their revenue.
WhatsApp用户可以通过互联网免费发送文本讯息，从而绕过了可能向用户收费提供讯息发送服务的无线运营商。对无线运营商来说，即时通讯应用使其蒙受了尤其巨大的损失，因为多年来，这项业务一直是其营收的很大一部分来源。WhatsApp claims 450 million people use its service each month and 70% of those people are active on a given day. It also claims it is adding more than 1 million new registered users a day.
WhatsApp称，每月有4.5亿用户使用他们的服务，其中70%是日活跃用户。WhatsApp还称，每天新增的注册用户数量超过100万。
'WhatsApp is on a path to connect 1 billion people,' said Facebook founder and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg.
Facebook的创始人兼首席执行长扎克伯格(Zuckerberg)说，WhatsApp正走在连通10亿人的道路上。WhatsApp will continue to operate independently and retain its brand, while co-founder and CEO Jan Koum will join Facebook's board, bringing the total number of members to nine.
WhatsApp将继续独立运营，并保留自己的品牌，WhatsApp的联合创始人兼首席执行长Jan Koum将加入Facebook董事会，这使得Facebook董事会的成员增加到九人。WhatsApp will remain based in Mountain View, Calif., and Facebook said its own messenger app and WhatsApp's core messaging product will continue to operate as separate applications.
WhatsApp的总部将留在加州山景城(Mountain View)。Facebook说，它自己的即时通讯应用和WhatsApp的核心即时通讯产品将继续作为独立业务分开运营。Facebook said in a regulatory filing that it would acquire all outstanding stock and options in WhatsApp for about 183.9 million of its shares, valued at about $12 billion. The deal also includes $4 billion in cash and an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp's founders and employees.
Facebook在一份监管备案文件中说，将用约1.839亿股Facebook股票（价值120亿美元左右）收购WhatsApp的全部流通股和期权。另外，WhatsApp的创始人和员工还将获得40亿美元现金和另外价值30亿美元的限制股。In an interview with The Wall Street Journal in December, Mr. Koum attributed the company's steady growth to his company's 'focus on messaging.' Unlike competing messaging apps that make money with advertising or games, 'we want to get out of the way. We want to let people have a conversation.'
去年12月在接受《华尔街日报》采访时，Koum将该公司的稳定增长归功于对即时通讯的专注。他说，我们与竞争对手不同，他们的即时通讯应用通过广告或游戏赚钱，我们不想走这条路，我们希望人们彼此交谈。At the time, he also said the company had no plans to sell or launch an initial public offering or seek new funding.
当时他还说，公司没有出售计划，也没有进行首次公开募股或者寻求新融资的计划。The deal marks the latest signal that Facebook is willing to pay huge sums to acquire rival apps that gain sway with consumers. The company in 2012 agreed to pay $1 billion in cash and stock to buy Instagram, a popular app used to help people share photos.
这项交易是Facebook释出的最新一个信号，表明该公司愿意花巨资收购竞争对手在消费者当中获得了巨大影响力的应用。2012年，该公司以10亿美元的现金和股票收购了Instagram，一款能够帮助人们分享照片的热门应用。Facebook also reportedly offered to pay close to $3 billion or more to acquire messaging service Snapchat, though that offer was spurned.
据报道，Facebook曾提出以近30亿美元或更高的价格收购通讯服务供应商Snapchat，不过要约遭到了拒绝。Facebook was slow to embrace a global shift away from desktop computing to mobile phones, opening it up to scrutiny from investors since its IPO in 2012. But its latest quarterly results illustrated the company is managing that transition as mobile advertising now makes up more than half of its total advertising revenue.
在消费者从台式机转向手机的全球浪潮中，Facebook过去未能与时俱进，该公司2012年进行首次公开募股之后，这引起了投资者的审视。但Facebook最新的季度业绩表明，该公司正在努力实现这一转变，移动广告在总广告收入中的占比已经超过一半。In the event the merger is terminated if regulatory approval isn't achieved, Facebook would pay WhatsApp a $1 billion cash breakup fee and issue $1 billion in Facebook shares.
如果这项并购因未获监管机构批准而终止，Facebook将向WhatsApp支付10亿美元现金加价值10亿美元的Facebook股票作为“分手费”。Facebook was advised by Allen & Co. LLC and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, while WhatsApp was advised by Morgan Stanley and Fenwick & West LLP.
本次交易中，Allen & Co. LLC和Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP担任Facebook的顾问，摩根士丹利(Morgan Stanley)和Fenwick & West LLP担任WhatsApp的顾问。Facebook intends to host a conference call later Wednesday to discuss the merger. The news sent Facebook shares down about 3% in after-hours trading.
Facebook计划在周三晚些时候召开一次电话会议讨论并购事宜。这一消息让Facebook的股价在盘后交易时段下跌了近3%。
