Another day, another social network announces more mobile functionality. This time, US giant Facebook joins in the fun, even if many of the services were already available.
Joining in the push to get into the mobile space along with fellow heavyweights MySpace and Bebo, the enhanced Facebook service allows those with access and the required handset to surf their profile, upload photos and notes and send and receive Facebook texts. (Update: now Google’s orkut is getting in on the act).
The Facebook blog does make an interesting point about the connection between social networks and the mobile industry:
Facebook was invented to make sharing information with your friends easier and better. Mobile phones were invented for pretty much the same reason. People needed an easier and better way to get in touch with each other, and mobile phones made it happen.
So, a natural partnership it seems? Certainly the me-too race is on to ensure that no large social network is left behind when it comes to mobile, even if the strength of the revenue streams are as yet uncertain.
2007 is already proving a big year for mobile with Apple’s (or is it Cisco’s 
) iPhone and the likes of Google, Yahoo and YouTube all getting in on the act with a series of services and partnerships. 2007 may well be the year when we find which services stick, before 2008 is the year when they start to pay.
Good PR by Facebook to get people talking about it, but the real interest is the wider trend as you say. Still think it’s a technology looking for a need. Time will tell.
Posted by jakeanton | January 18, 2007, 8:09 pm