Facebook in 2015 - It has become a social network that has no equal, and a lot of credit for this is due to its constant exploration of new terrain and the fact that it does not rest on its laurels. In recent years, he has outgrown even himself, and we can only wonder where the path will take him in 2015.
Therefore, we looked for some clues in his recent past that lift the veil from the future:
Texting
Facebook's vision is to keep primacy over online social contacts. However, until now they have mostly only succeeded in doing so on desktop computers, while mobile devices have been flooded with other text and image communication applications. When their purchase fell through the cracks SnapChat, which turned down a tough offer of three billion dollars, Facebook responded by buying the app Whatsapp. Until the purchase of Instagram, Facebook only invested in its own development, but then it began to sign with other already established products that succumbed to its charms (e.g. Whatsapp with 450 million users).
Despite the purchase, it didn't hurt the super-popular SnapChat, and Facebook decided to go for another one a strategic move, which is proof that he does not only defend dominance with takeovers and sometimes chooses an even more painful scenario- own development. And so was the second answer Slingshot, a free app for Android and Apple users to create photos and videos and share them with friends. It's over soon Instagram also launched the Bolt app for texting, but until today, these two have not been converted by many SnapChat users, which thus remains the most popular mobile application for texting mainly among students. So what does the crystal ball say? That Facebook does not intend to just hand over the crown to SnapChat and that in 2015 it will try another new application that will fit the popularity of the competitor or mortal enemy and overtook him in the final stage.
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Virtual reality
Mark Zuckerberg reached deep into his scrotum quite a few times this year, as he also bought a company for two billion dollars Oculus VR, a Kickstarter sensation that succeeded with its own virtual reality glasses. With them in a virtual environment we meet 3D avatars of friends, have meetings, play games, etc. It can therefore be read from the purchase that Facebook wants to integrate the Internet even more into everyday life and digitize everyday life, and it is the integration of virtual reality that is supposed to save Facebook from the outflow of young people, who are currently rushing off Facebook like a torrent.
Although Oculus was actually just an experiment, Facebook's purchase gave it a boost legitimacy and perhaps just such a technology is next a paradigm shift in online communication. Zuckerberg said they're in for the long haul, that it's a gamble, and that they reckon virtual reality could be part of a new flagship computing platform that breaks out every 10-15 years and outlines the future. And Oculus' job will be to accelerate user growth. Although it is clear that the purchase will not immediately translate into profit (after all, he has to sell honey 50-100 million pieces, before the technology becomes a relevant player in the market), and the uptake itself is strong raised credibilityt of Facebook and thus also the share price. It is not to be expected that this Facebook vision will come to life already in 2015, but important steps towards a virtual future will definitely be taken, which should be looked forward to.
Drones
If Facebook surprised many with the purchase of Oculus, what can we say only after it untied the scrotum for the purchase of English by Ascenta, which develops drones on solar energy (it cost 20 million dollars). Here too, as with the attempt to buy SnapChat, I have to swallow the bitter pill for Facebook first, because it is up for auction Google led the first favorite, the company Titan Aerospace. Unlike Oculus, the motive for the purchase is much clearer here - to offer via drones wireless internet access in uninhabited, hard-to-reach and remote areas and simultaneously extract 21st century oil, data. In doing so, he means to bypass the classic ones internet providers and become one of them. One that provides internet to countries and places where internet service is lacking (eg Africa, as well as many parts of the US).
On board Facebook or his Connectivity Laba some key members of Ascent, which otherwise developed early versions, stepped in with the purchase Zephyr, a drone that holds a record-breaking solar-powered drone flight. Unlike the Oculus project, this project is expected to take off as early as 2015.
Of course, this is certainly not all that Facebook has in store for next year. In addition to all of the above and mobile applications, it certainly has some more a trump card up his sleeve.
