Facebook confirms Gowalla buyout

Facebook has confirmed that it has bought location-based social network Gowalla for an undisclosed sum.

There were reports at the weekend that Facebook had purchased Gowalla, but these were from an anonymous source.

At the time both companies stayed tight-lipped about the acquisition but now they have gone public with statements revealing that Gowalla would indeed be integrated into the sprawling social mass that is Facebook.

"We're excited to confirm that Gowalla co-founders Josh Williams and Scott Raymond, along with other members of the Gowalla team, are moving to Facebook in January to join our design and engineering teams," said a Facebook spokesperson in a statement.

"In talking with the Gowalla team, we realised that we share many of the same goals: building great products that reach millions of people, making a big impact quickly, and creating new ways for people to connect and share what's going on in their lives.

"While Facebook isn't acquiring the Gowalla service or technology, we're sure that the inspiration behind Gowalla will make its way into Facebook over time."

Highlight of our lives

Over on Gowalla's blog, there is a statement that outlines just how the deal took place.

It seems that at a recent f8 conference, co-founders Josh Williams and Scott Raymond were tapped up by Facebook and they decided a few weeks later to sell the site to the social network.

"Gowalla, as a service, will be winding down at the end of January. We plan to provide an easy way to export your Passport data, your Stamp and Pin data (along with your legacy Item data), and your photos as well. Facebook is not acquiring Gowalla's user data.

"We know how much many of you loved Gowalla. It's been the highlight of our lives as we've built it with your help over the past two years. As we move forward, we hope some of the inspiration behind Gowalla – a fun and beautiful way to share your journey on the go – will live on at Facebook."