Facebook links up with Vodafone on mobile platform
February 8, 2008 //
According to InfoWorld, Facebook took a new step into the mobile realm on Thursday, launching a platform for operators designed to make its social networking application work better on mobile devices.
Vodafone is the first operator to use the Facebook for Mobile Operators platform and has started services in the UK and Germany, said Jed Stremel, Facebook’s director of mobile division. Vodafone will soon expand the program to Greece, Italy, Spain, Ireland, and Portugal.
The platform involves giving operators a set of technical specifications intended to resolve some frustrating hang-ups when using Facebook on a mobile phone rather than a PC, such as smoothing out login problems and opening up other features, Stremel said.
The move by Facebook, which ranks next to MySpace as one of the most popular social networking sites, is intended to grow its user base, which the company estimates at 64 million users. So far, the company says it has 6 million users of Facebook Mobile, an unsupported mobile version of the Web site that will now get full support, Stremel said.
At the moment, the mobile site does not have any advertising. Stremel would not reveal the financial details of Facebook’s deal with Vodafone, although he said operators will be able to generate revenue from data services as their subscribers access Facebook.
It sounds like Vodafone are likely to build a Facebook application, not provide mobile Web version of Facebook.
The company is hoping to lure more operators by the simplicity with which they can enable Facebook, Stremel said.
Facebook has created special Web pages with instructions on how operators can set up their systems, he said. The instructions, for example, let operators add system settings that will let their subscribers send MMS with photos or video to their Facebook profiles, Stremel said.
The platform also includes other specifications designed to stop abuse of Facebook, such as spamming, Stremel said. When someone sends their first MMS with a photo to their profile, the user is sent back a confirmation message with a code or a link. That confirmation then links that person’s phone with their Facebook account, Stremel said.
My thoughts
I’m confused. Why would Operators do anything to enable a better user experience for Facebook? They don’t do it for any other content provider, at least not without taking a large percentage of the revenue. This won’t be possible with Facebook unless they charge for access. It’s not as if they’re going to make anything from picture messaging as they suggest.
Does this mean that Vodafone is going to charge users to access a mobile version of Facebook? Why doesn’t Facebook simply build a mobile friendly Web site that works, like every other company that cares to make their site more mobile friendly.
As I’ve said, I’m confused, so please let me know if you have better insight, or a theory to support the relationship.
Source InfoWorld
marco goldschmied says 
jamesq says 
Sharon Crossley says 
Grant Bannister says 
Facebook already have a mobile friendly site http://m.facebook.com. Not forgetting that Facebook is perfectly usable in the full version with Opera Mini.
I think you are right and that Vodafone is going to either charge users to access it, or at least feature it heavily in their advertising for their mobile internet service. I remember getting wound up by old Vodafone adverts that claimed "The Internet is now mobile" when I’d been using my mobile to go online for years. The only reason they seemed to get away with it was because they had deals with Hotmail, MySpace and a bunch of others that they could advertise that you could reach their sites through the Vodafone portal.
I think Vodafone want to keep their users’ internet access locked down to their portal still, which is not the way forward. Still, it’s good for Facebook to draw in another healthy wad of cash.
February 8th, 2008
@Phil it’s funny how the iPhone version of the site isn’t as user friendly as the full site on the iPhone. The mobile version isn’t bad.
As I said, I’m confused. Perhaps Daniel Appelquist can shed some light.
February 8th, 2008
Vodafone is definitely going to charge users
February 8th, 2008
Facebook is all around, soon they have they own TV.
March 1st, 2009