Social Networking

Facebook reportedly developing zone for professionals

Social networking giant Facebook is looking to get into the business networking and collaboration game, according to unnamed sources in an FT report. It would apparently take the form of a dedicated zone, called ‘Facebook at Work’, that would have familiar Facebook functionality, but shield your work contacts from any frivolous content posted in the personal section.

Yahoo continues buying spree with Qwiki purchase

Yahoo continued its acquisition spree on Tuesday, jumping on the micro video bandwagon with the acquisition of Qwiki. The US startup has iPad and iPhone tools that turn a user’s photos and videos into short movie montages.

Yahoo bets farm on Tumblr acquisition

Internet firm Yahoo on Monday moved to acquire blogging platform Tumblr for $1.1bn in cash. In some ways this is a last ditch attempt to keep Yahoo relevant and CEO Marissa Meyer made a promise during the announcement “not to screw it up.”

Twitter tapped by Reliance in OTT partnership

Mobile operators are increasingly seeing the value of partnering with Over The Top (OTT) service providers to mutual benefit. This week Indian carrier Reliance Communications struck a deal with social network Twitter to effectively subsidise data access for a limited period of time.

Wind prepay users top-up on Facebook

Italian carrier Wind this week introduced a Facebook application that enables its prepay customers to top up their credit directly through the social networking platform.

Mobile is both Facebook’s Achilles heel and future

Facebook has been at the forefront of the growth in mobile data usage in recent years. It is indisputably one of the big stars of mobile; one that most operators have wanted to ally themselves with to drive the sale of data plans on their networks.

Yet, by Facebook’s own admission, mobile could be its Achilles heel.

Facebook snaps up Instagram

Photo sharing startup Instagram has been acquired by social darling Facebook for an estimated $1bn, or a quarter of the network’s 2011 revenues.

Twitter buys microblogging rival Posterous

Social network Twitter has acquired microblogging platform Posterous for an undisclosed sum. Posterous offered similar, but less well known services. The purchase appears to be focused on the talent pool available at the company.

Mobile social networking infographic

Bytemobile’s first Mobile Analytics Report of 2012 reveals that the average volume of video traffic on mobile networks has risen by ten percentage points since this time last year, to 50 per cent. Also, while the average subscriber uses YouTube and Facebook for roughly the same amount of time – about nine minutes per session – YouTube generates a staggering 350 times more traffic.

Vodafone and Facebook to target prepay data users

Operator giant Vodafone on Wednesday introduced the world’s first ‘official’ Facebook phone targeted specifically at the prepay market. The device, known as the 555 Blue, will be a group wide offering, aimed at the youth demographic in both mature and emerging markets.

Can telecoms companies offer designer customer service?

In the continuing drive towards improving customer service and encouraging self service, telecoms companies are increasingly broadening their online resources with a range of communications channels; from more prominent and detailed FAQs to customer forums where subject experts communicate with each other and exchange tips to help consumers solve problems without recourse to a live agent.

Telefonica pitches social media to LatAm masses

Telefónica was confident enough on Thursday to launch its own social networking portal across its Latin American portfolio. Telefónica, which operates as Movistar in the region, has tapped up software developer Myriad Group to provide social networking to its 13 mobile operations.

Twitter co-founder Dorsey back in charge of product

Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of micro social network Twitter, is returning to the company as product lead and executive chairman. Dorsey quit the CEO position in October 2008 to be replaced by cofounder Evan Williams. Some say Dorsey left because Twitter was struggling to meet demand and others because it wasn’t making money. Either way, Williams was replaced in October 2010 by Dick Costolo, who was charged with making the company generate some cash.

Facebook targets lower end mobile devices

Social networking giant Facebook this week extended its reach to thousands of lower tier handset models with the launch of a Java-based application created by developer Snaptu.

Apple, Sony target connected home

Further blurring the boundaries between the communications and internet worlds, disruptive US firm Apple has unveiled a music oriented social network that is bundled in with iTunes.

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