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The Facebook Aftermath - Productivity Apps linked via the Facebook OS

Last night, I pontificated on Facebook’s desire to replicate Microsoft’s success factors on the desktop in the social networking space. However you describe it, others seem to agree that Facebook is making the right moves - including turning down Yahoo: see Gino Cosme, i-Boy,

Joe Duck, Brandon Live!, CostPerNews, and others.

Well - it appear that its really happening. There’s a zillion apps launching with Facebook Platform, thanks to savvy marketing and pre-development efforts spurred by Facebook. More important than the volume, however, is the utility: these aren’t just “slideshows with hears & sparkles” or “listen to this kool band, yo!!11″ type applications - many of these are real productivity tools.

In particular, let me point you to two press releases:

Box.net (click for press release):

Box.net adapted their File Sharing App for use on Facebook. Already serving more than 300,000 apps daily from a vast collection of Internet locations, the Box.net File Sharing App allows users to display any file directly on their own sites. From music and video streaming to document collaboration, the app allows for a broad array of functionality utilized by individuals, bloggers, enterprises and recording artists.

Jaxtr.com (click for press release):

With a free jaxtr account, Facebook users link their mobile or landline phones with their online network. By adding their jaxtr widget to their Facebook profile, users can hear from callers worldwide while keeping their existing phone numbers private.

These two applications, integrated into the Facebook OS, to me signal the start of a conceptual sea-change: Facebook is shifting from becoming a social networking curiousity and easy way to share binge drinking plans to becoming a key workflow element for the networked world. In doing so, it is creating the environment for its own ecosystem to grow and flourish in, solidifying its long-term prospects.

box.net, f8, facebook, facebookplatform, jaxtr webos

2 Responses to “The Facebook Aftermath - Productivity Apps linked via the Facebook OS”

Carol J. | June 12th, 2007 at 4:51 am

Facebook’s F8 apps are proliferating and evolving faster than you can add new friends…
Rod | June 12th, 2007 at 10:15 am

Its funny - I’m not even on Facebook, but I hear a tonne about it. Neat to hear all that’s going on with the F8 stuff; friends of mine have been talking about the new options/tools/etc that are available to them as well.