Critical.
Authoritative.
Strategic.
Subscribe to CIO Magazine »

FarmVille developer Zynga buys social browser Flock

Flock's application, based on Google's Chromium open-source browser, pulls in data from social applications in a sidebar

Zynga, the company behind popular Facebook games such as FarmVille and Mafia Wars, has acquired Flock, which develops a Web browser fine-tuned for real-time social networking data feeds.

Terms of the deal, announced on Flock's blog on Thursday evening, were not disclosed. Flock CEO Shawn Hardin wrote that the company will help Zynga develop "the most fun, social games."

Hardin did not detail how his company's Web browser might be meshed with Zynga's online offerings, which include a range of gaming applications for Facebook, MySpace, Apple's iPhone and for web portals such as Yahoo. But the acquisition underscores continuing interest in companies developing applications that plug into popular social networking services.

Flock's Web browser is based on Google's open-source Chromium browser code. The company's first product was based on Mozilla's open-source Firefox browser, but Flock switched to Chromium's code base in June 2010 and also made Google the default search engine.

Flock has customized Chromium with a sidebar that delivers real-time information from social networking sites and other Web services such as Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. Flock's browser also helps people to share photos, video and stories on those services.

The company says it has around 10 million users of its browser, but that still makes it a very small player in the browser market, which is dominated by Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox.

Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.

More about: Apple, Facebook, Flock, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, Yahoo, Zynga
References show all

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Users posting comments agree to the CIO comments policy.
Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.
Related Coverage
Related Whitepapers
Latest Stories
Community Comments
Tags: applications, browsers, business issues, flock, games, internet, Internet-based applications and services, Mergers / acquisitions, online services, social networking, software, Zynga Game Network
Latest Blog Posts
Whitepapers
  • Look both ways - Protecting your data with content inspection
    Today’s threat environment is as dynamic as the business world in which we operate. As the communications channels we use continue to proliferate and evolve, so too have the vulnerabilities. Finding the right balance between ensuring the security of sensitive data, enabling the free flow of information and making full use of the latest web-based technologies can be a challenge. Deep content inspection is a vital layer in any unified information security strategy, helping organisations to take control over their information assets while proactively protecting against malware and data leakage. Read on.
    Learn more »
  • Workshifting: a global market research report
    New business requirements are transforming the demands placed on IT. To operate effectively in today’s fast-paced global environment, organisations need to be able to get work done anywhere, anytime, by any type of worker to achieve the best results. This is the context for the rise of workshifting—the practice of moving work to the most optimal location, time and resources. As one of the most comprehensive reports ever conducted into the role of desktop virtualisation in enabling workplace flexibility and mobility, it reflects the growing consensus of those using technology to improve the performance of their organisation.
    Learn more »
  • Government Communications 2.0
    The problem with data is that it’s only useful if you share and use it. Equally, the more data we share electronically, the greater the risk of it falling into the wrong hands. Public sector organisations can’t function without legitimately gathering and using personal information about the citizens they are mandated to serve. Technology has made a significant contribution to that process, but has also brought new risks. Read on.
    Learn more »
All whitepapers
rhs_login_lockGet exclusive access to Invitation only events CIO, reports & analysis.
Recent comments