Facebook Acquires Web Start-Up ParaKey

Facebook is going Google and getting spendy: the company recently purchased developer Parakey to work on its Facebook Platform.

Facebook has often been seen as a ripe target for corporate buyout from a larger company, but after resisting the urge to sell over and over again, the site’s owner, Mark Zuckerberg, has finally landed in the buyer’s seat. The social-networking site announced Thursday [PDF] that it has acquired Parakey, a company that aims to make simple computing tasks easier through their software, for an undisclosed amount.

Parakey was founded by Firefox co-developers Blake Ross and Joe Hewitt, both in their 20’s. The company launched in 2006, but has yet to actually reveal any products. Of the little information about the company that is available, one of their projects involved a sort of web-based platform for e-mail, photos, videos, recipes, calendars, and more.

Facebook will use the duo’s programming prowess to work on the Facebook Platform and the company’s site. “Facebook Platform is finally making it easy to share experiences with friends and family over the web, a goal Joe and I have worked toward for years,” said Ross. “We are thrilled to join the most innovative technology company in the industry.”