Facebook at Work App Collaboration Tool Released For Limited Test

[engine]

Facebook is moving forward with its work collaboration facility, and it seems there are businesses lined up to test it.

As I mentioned previously, Facebook's moving into LinkedIn's business territory.

If we think about the other options, there are so many fragmented systems around, and perhaps Facebook's move could help bring all that together.

A smartphone app called Facebook At Work will hit app stores Wednesday, the company announced, as the billion-user social network expands into new territory: the office.Facebook at Work App Collaboration Tool Released For Limited Test [blogs.wsj.com]

Facebook says only a handful of test companies will be able to download the app, which was developed in London, but the release signals that the company is moving forward with the workplace experiment it has been working on since at least November.

Facebook At Work is a collaboration tool that lets colleagues communicate through a web interface or a mobile app, instead of using email. The software is still in the early stages, the company said.

Facebook At Work will be available from both the Apple’s iOS App Store and Android stores.

Earlier story Report: Facebook Is Working on a Business and Work-Related Collaboration [webmasterworld.com]

[bill]

Although the idea has its appeal, I wonder how many companies (IT departments in particular) will feel comfortable letting Facebook hold onto this level of corporate data.

[blend27]

...feel comfortable....

hopefully none.

if they do, mark my word, their jobs will be outsourced to... FaceBook.

[engine]

One other aspect to consider is that all participants will need to be logged into facebook. The result is the possibility of all the personal stuff becoming a distraction. Some people just don't know how to turn off from FB.

[Webwork]

Maybe work collaboration should be handled via a service that just wants to provide a service - collaboration technology - a service that isn't interested in collecting user data.

It's all good . . until one learns that their data - even if anonymized - is being sold. What is the point of all the data collection if not to extract value from it, i.e., sell it to some entity that would seek a competitive advantage from it?