MappingTheWeb //

According to Blognation UK, an unofficial Facebook IM app will be going into BETA this Friday. Emphasis is being placed on the fact that no registration, installation, or download is needed to use the chat program. All Facebook users can instantly access the system. Although this application (Friendvox) is not a company-owned property, it will likely provide any and all functionality that an in-house system would. In other words, this app may be a prime takeover target for Facebook if they aren’t already developing a client of their own.

To be honest, I think we all knew that it was only a matter of time before a Facebook IM client came to fruition. I guess that time is now. Whether it provides any level of competition against MSN Messenger, AIM, Yahoo Messenger, and/or Google Talk is yet to be determined.

Here are some screenshots of the new IM (courtesy of Blognation UK): 

• Facebook IM client screenshot 1
• Facebook IM client screenshot 2

I wasn’t overly impressed by the chat interface - I thought it was rather ugly when compared to the rest of Facebook. The traditional clean look has been replaced by a web 1.0 feel. Then again though, the system was not created by Facebook itself.

It will be interested to see what the company’s next step is in the space. It will also be interested to see what other applications and spaces the company plans to enter in the coming months. If I were any kind of social app, I’d be scared to death if there was a chance Facebook might enter my realm. These companies will need to erect barriers quickly if they planning on surviving the initial Facebook tsunami.