In their never-ending quest for global domination, the brain trust at Facebook has announced yet another addition to their social media portfolio. Financial Times reported early yesterday the development of “Facebook at Work,” a professional-minded version of their ubiquitous social networking site.
If that sounds like an existing social media platform ::cough:: LinkedIn ::cough:: it should not surprise you, as Facebook has never been satisfied standing still. They have purchased entities like Instagram and WhatsApp, and in the case of start-ups unwilling to sell (Snapchat) they have dedicated millions in development dollars to try and push them out of the market.
Facebook touched on interface design that allows for the separation of work connections, personal connections and family connections by allowing for the placement of individual users on select lists—taking yet another idea from an existing social media site, Google+—but have stopped short of declaring all-out-war on LinkedIn. This is the official warning shot.
According to the report, Facebook at Work will operate in a similar fashion to LinkedIn, allowing for professional connections and chat functionality, but also incorporating features from Google Drive such as document-sharing. An independent Facebook site for strict work-related topics and conversation will also alleviate the quandary that many managers find themselves in: they realize the benefits of social media, but also the inherent distraction they present for many employees.
Facebook has yet to formally announce the project, but given the company’s history of doubling-down on all-things-expansion, I’m sure it’s on the way. There’s no stopping their scorched earth mission for dominion over the Internet.
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