cross platform software — Lauren MacEwen

Social One-Stop-Shop: Skype on Facebook?

Rumors abound saying that Facebook might be integrating video chat into their chat platform. Last year a programmer detected coding on Facebook that indicated they were possibly getting ready to introduce video functionality into their chat application. Though Facebook denied the report, it does seem likely that they are preparing for the next level of communication tech integration.

Video chat has been more of a “when” rather than an “if” for a long time.

With one-third of the U.S. population on Facebook, there is a better chance that your friends are on Facebook chat rather than an email oriented platform like AOL, MSN or Google. And of course integrating FB chat into outside platforms like iChat and AIM just increase the reach and usability. This makes FB a prospective and powerful platform for chat.

The integration of group chat into the new FB groups, and being able to have email announcements stream into your chat box, has just increased the attractiveness and probable development of the chat function.

If Facebook were to integrate video into their chat windows, they would be an even bigger powerhouse in social media. Video chat integration could secure Facebook as the social one-stop-shop.

Will Facebook integrate with Skype? Or might they just create Skype-type functionality?

Facebook gets in bed with Microsoft

‘The new Facebook email shot out of the gates on Monday as the announcement went live. I have written extensively about the features and functionality of the new Facebook “Not-Mail” messaging system.

Since the news broke, people immediately started asking if the new Facebook mail is going to replace traditional email. Although Zuckerberg is claiming that this is not Facebook’s goal, the recent struggles between Facebook and Google may indicate that it is indded what they are trying to do.

Regardless, the first big issue that Facebook mail is going to face is Spam. The second issue is turning their back on Adobe…and, well, everyone not Microsoft.

What do I mean by this?

One of the basic functions of an email, beyond communicating, is sending attachments. We send documents, powerpoints, pdf’s, photos and other various and sundry items to each other via email. If you are in business, being able to send attachments is an extremely important part of your communications.

Facebook is allowing attachments, however they are only allowing attachments from Microsoft. So if you are sending a .doc, .ppt or .xls then you should be fine. However, if you want to send a .pdf you are out of luck. You heard me right, you cannot send a pdf via Facebook mail.

The reason Facebook is excluding everything other than Microsoft is because they are getting a benefit that other email programs, like gmail, are not. You can view your attachments, in completion, online and without downloading them. This is a special privilege that Microsoft is giving Facebook for attachment exclusivity.

So the question is: does the benefit of viewing your documents without downloading outweigh the pitfalls or inconvenience of not being able to attach anything other than Microsoft?