Facebook
announced the release of its iPad app. The social media networking
company also introduced support for social games on the mobile versions
of its online service.
These announcements are expected to provide a way for Facebook to generate revenue from
the more than 350 million users who access its service on mobile devices
every month.
The mobile versions of its
website will now offer tighter integration with third-party social games
and applications. Those games, such as Zynga’s Farmville, are extremely
popular among Facebook users who access the service on their PCs.
Similar to the experience on a PC, Facebook users on mobile devices such as Apple’s iPhone and Android smartphones will receive alerts in their newsfeed when their friends play certain games or invite them to play along with them.
Facebook’s mobile service will also offer bookmarks within the website of a user’s favorite games, for quick access.
Many of those games offer users the ability to purchase virtual goods
— such as additional equipment or clothing to enhance the experience in
a game — using Facebook’s special so-called Credits currency.
The company said it would require third-party app developers to support
Credits in the mobile versions of their games that interact with
Facebook.
Facebook said the specialized iPhone app version of its service would
not support its Credits currency, in accordance with Apple’s terms of
service.
The new version of Facebook for Apple’s popular iPad
tablet has been rumored on industry blogs for months. Facebook said the
iPad app will offer enhanced photo-viewing capabilities and messaging
capabilities.
By Telecomlead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com
