Facebook released an update on Friday that will allow users to place calls through the app as long as both parties have the most recently updated version. The function previously existed in the Messenger app, but will now be available to everyone. Read more »
Facebook jumped into an already crowded VoIP market with the update of its Messenger app last week. Robert Gaal, of Karma, says the company’s scale ultimately will allow it to kill off the phone. Read more »
Facebook is banning Voxer and disallowing it access to its platform. The question is – will this ban extend to other communication apps or is Facebook cherry picking and targeting individual companies. And the bigger question: is it time for the anti-trust people to intervene? Read more »
Facebook will soon allow anyone to sign up for its Facebook Messenger App with just a name and a phone number instead of requiring users to have a Facebook account. The roll out begins on Android in select countries before going international and iOS soon. Read more »
Group messaging and conversation apps are everywhere these days. But despite all the competition, a new entrant with a less-is-more approach and emphasis on privacy might be just what some users are looking for. That’s exactly what the new iPhone app Glassboard offers. Read more »
Skype has acquired group messaging startup GroupMe for a rumored $85 million. The deal, while a good move on paper, isn’t going to be enough, as Skype itself is going through an identity crisis — whether it wants to be a consumer or an enterprise communications company. Read more »
Facebook Messenger arrived yesterday, bringing a cross-platform group messaging solution that leverages your Facebook network and SMS to reach a wide potential audience. I compared it to other messaging solutions, but let’s take a closer look at Facebook’s offering and what it can do. Read more »
Now that Facebook has thrown its hat in the ring, there are quite a few choices for mobile messaging on the iPhone and other iOS devices. The three big ones are Facebook Messenger, Google+ and iMessage. Here’s a chart comparing their features and abilities. Read more »
Does the launch of Facebook Messenger, led by the founding team of Beluga, mean the end of Beluga as its own standalone app? Beluga is still available on its own for the time being — but from the looks of it, that may not last for long. Read more »
Facebook has already started to supplant traditional email providers as a dominant way that people communicate online. With a new standalone mobile app called Facebook Messenger with SMS-like functionality, the social networking giant is poised to delve even deeper into users’ mobile messaging activity. Read more »