Vodacom launches Facebook-enabled phone

MOBILE operator Vodacom yesterday launched a “feature phone” dedicated mainly to social networking service Facebook.

The device will accelerate data usage and in return this will increase data revenue , which has become a key source of revenue for mobile network operators.

The Vodafone 555 Blue device was developed in partnership with Vodacom’s parent company, Vodafone, and Facebook.

Vodacom said the device was an entirely different proposition in terms of pricing, features and target audience. “It’s not a smartphone but a feature phone that enables customers to access Facebook with just one click,” said Enzo Scarcella, the managing executive of marketing at Vodacom.

The smartphone comes with built-in Facebook functionality, which runs the moment the phone is switched on.

The phone will retail for R749, a crucial price point for mass-market adoption. The phone is also billed as the first Facebook-centric device for prepaid customers.

Mr Scarcella said social networking using cellphones “is becoming increasingly important amongst customers who want to stay connected regardless of the time or place, and this global trend is relevant to SA too”.

According to Mr Scarcella, there are more than 4,1-million Facebook users in SA. The Vodafone 555 Blue will provide more users in the emerging market with an affordable way to access the world’s largest social networking site, he said.

At the end of June, Vodacom had 3,7-million active smartphones on its network. It also increased the number of active data customers by 43,3% to 10,9-million in the three months to June, compared with the same period last year.

Jonathan Labin, Facebook’s client partner for central Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said Facebook “wants to make every phone social and Vodafone has taken the integration of Facebook to the next stage for an affordable mobile device with the Vodafone 555 Blue”. According to the Facebook website, there are more than 250-million active users of Facebook through their mobile devices.

mochikot@bdfm.co.za

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Google+ takes on Facebook

As the global phenomenon Facebook enters its sixth year with 750 million users, an adversary is weighing in and preparing to enter the ring: Google. 

Although the search engine giant unveiled Google+ in late June, the invite-only beta already has more than 25 million users and is considered to be Facebook’s biggest rival.

But even with all the early success, some Cal State Fullerton students aren’t buying into Google+ quite yet.

“If I were to go to Google+, I’d probably wait about two years until everybody else transfers over to that, because I don’t see it as being practical using something that nobody else that I know uses,” said Stephen Pink, a Spanish major.

Early users have been able to send up to 150 invitations to join Google+. After launch, user traffic ballooned so fast that Vic Gundotra, senior vice president of social business for Google, decided to cut off invitations for a night.

“We’ve shut down invite mechanism for the night. Insane demand. We need to do this carefully and in a controlled way. Thank you all for your interest!” he said in a Google+ post.

Google’s goal with Google+, according to Gundotra, is to integrate social networking with everything people already do on the Internet. Google also added a Google+ link to the new navigation bar alongside Gmail, Calendar and other popular services.

There is speculation among some experts that Google+ could take over Facebook just as Zuckerberg’s titan engulfed Myspace.

“It’s too soon to say. For me, though, while it’s a ‘social network,’ it is not a Facebook replacement … not yet at least,” said Robert Hernandez, assistant professor of professional practice at USC and veteran web journalist. “I don’t think it will replace Facebook, but complement it. A different type of social network, with some similarities,” Hernandez said. “I find it to be more work than play.”

Other CSUF students agree.

“I think Facebook had the advantage over Myspace because of the status updates that everyone could see … Google+ seems too similar to Facebook for it to completely take over,” said Greg Hogrebe, a biology major.

Some features of Google+, like +1 and Stream, are similar to features on Facebook and other social networking sites. Google has added some new features as well, like Circles, which allow users to select specifically who they want to share thoughts, pictures and other information with.

Another Google+ feature is a Twitter-esque function called Sparks, which allows users to keep track of their interests through Google and share them with friends.

Google Buzz and Google Wave were Google’s previous attempts at joining the social network fight, but both fell short as Facebook’s popularity snowballed.

“I was a big fan of the Google Wave concept, and Buzz was a complete disaster … meaning on how it was rolled out. I think Google has learned a lot and is offering something different here … but will it stick? Who knows. I’m thinking yes. Different from Facebook, though,” Hernandez said.

This time, however, the Google+ launch overshadowed several Facebook updates, including its recent partnership with Skype, allowing users to video chat through the instant messaging function.

While Google+ has experienced early success, it is still far from a global community.

According to Google, the majority of Google+’s early users are Americans, about 10 percent. Three percent of users are from India, putting it in second.

Five percent of users are Californians.

Google has remained unclear on when Google+ will be completely opened to the general public, which has led many to believe they are going by a “when-it’s-ready” basis.

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