Social media giant Facebook by launching a mobile messaging application is stepping ahead in the mobile instant messaging market.
This feature is basically designed for Apple’s iPhone and Android devices.
The application can set the competitive environment for RIM’s BBM, Google’s messaging elements and Apple’s iMessage.
This feature is different from Facebook’s existing messaging system in a way that it is capable of functioning even outside the gallery of facebook. The new application will allow Facebook users to send text messages between phones, while still storing the conversation in a user’s messaging center on his individual Facebook page.
Thus, app can be used to send messages to Facebook friends or other people in the user’s phone address book, delivering them by notification or text. Though this feature is available in the U.S. but in the U.K., it is yet to arrive.
Lucy Zhang, Beluga co-founder and Facebook engineer in a post, emphasized Messenger’s group messaging capability. When a person is outside then coordinating a bunch of people can be difficult, With Messenger, one can quickly start a group conversation and message everyone at once,” Zhanga said.
In the race of messenger, many other big names like RIM’s Blackberry and others are aggressively pushing their marketing strategies. RIM’s only messaging service enrolled more than 45 million users at the end of July, 2011.
However, RIM is facing challenges in the U.K. market over the use of its private messaging network by people involved in ongoing riots there.
Few months ago, Apple has also unveiled its equivalent to BBM, iMessage. In April, App Messenger got 800,000 mobile users in the U.K. alone.
Messaging is a big part of the mobile apps. Google’s recently launched Google+ social service too, with a feature called ‘Huddle’ which is mingled with Android and iPhone users for messaging.
However, Facebook with this new application of mobile messaging hopes that its 750 million-strong social graph as well as its ability to message non-Facebook contacts from the user’s address book will give it a boost against the competition.
By Abhilasha Sharma
editor@telecomlead.com
