Yahoo purchases mobile app Blink

The app that was acquired, Blink, allows users to send messages that self-destruct within a set time limit. Blinks homepage now has a temporary logo in purple font with an exclamation mark added to showcase the recent Yahoo acquisition. Blink was founded by former Google employees and will be hired on as Yahoo takes in the new talent, discontinuing the Blink app in the process.

“I can confirm that the entire team behind Blink will be joining our mobile team in Sunnyvale where they will focus on smart communication products” – Yahoo Rep

The Blink webpage states

“We built Blink because we believe everyone should be free to show the same honesty and spontaneity in their online conversations as they can in person. We look forward to the possibilities that will come from bringing the Blink vision to Yahoo.”

Marissa and company has seen success with recent purchases like Tumblr, Summly, Rockmelt and others. This latest purchase does come at no surprise as companies try and compete with WhatsApp, Kik, and Facebook Messenger in the race to be the number one messaging application. In the past year, Facebook has acquired WhatsApp for $16 billion and has released its own stand-alone app, Facebook Messenger. Snapchat meanwhile has added new features like a conversation stream within the app that has helped the platform expand into another medium of messaging.

As companies have the arms race to be the number one app, former popular companies like Blackberry and its BBM app struggle to gain what’s most important, the users. As Yahoo spends its way back into relevance after several years of losing relevance, Marissa Meyer has seen some improvement for the companies’ tech status. Unfortunately, revenue is still not where she and the board of directors would like it to be.