Facebook's milestone.

Facebook rapid growth continues it’s already reached a whopping 150 million active users. According to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg Facebook hit another major milestone when it reached the 150 million mark. Most of Facebook’s growth is happening outside the US; the site got a strong mainstream buzz and a huge global presence. There are speculations and predictions that Facebook could hit 200 million active users by April or May, the Company is growing rapidly, and with no sign of any slowdown it could smash the 200 million mark. The site has been on rampage for months, it’s dominated the entire web. The race is on for Facebook’s 200 million mark.

Why Microsoft should buy Facebook.

Facebook a major prize for a goliath that wants to build a web empire with a major audience and a strong mainstream buzz. I think it’s about time that Microsoft should buy Facebook. By buying Facebook Microsoft gets access to Facebook’s massive user base and we all know that user base is crucial to Microsoft’s online business. Facebook would also give Microsoft an upper hand when it comes to search, for years Microsoft has tried to challenge search leader Google but Microsoft always failed. The giant Software Company has invested efforts and tons of money on search business but its bid for search supremacy is disastrous archrival Google still rule the web. What Microsoft really need is a piece of technological innovation, something that have nice or vibrant brand (Yahoo! is a good answer but I’m not talking about Yahoo!) and strong mainstream buzz. Facebook got those answer with its nice and vibrant brand name and major web audience (a whopping 140 million active users). According to a site statistic almost a third of searches on the web are related to people, and if you going to see some of the internet’s search statistic you would see Facebook huge impacts on people search. The social networking super site is quickly becoming the center for people search, and that trend will continues. Facebook could be one of the fastest growing search engines; there is no sign of slowing down. Is Facebook a threat to Google search business? What we about to see is the next big thing in web searches. Facebook is poised to be the largest people search engine in the world. Microsoft should know what exactly Facebook got. The Software Company should keep its eyes on Facebook and make no mistakes when making its first move. The Software Company got no choice but to fight Google in search. Microsoft should strike with every single technological might it got, that’s exactly what Microsoft should do. Stay focused; don’t get distracted by Zune story or Apple. Its takes incredible focus and innovative thinking to beat Google. Microsoft’s investment in Facebook is a good move, its ridiculously high a whopping $ 240 million just for a 1.6 percent stake. But the investment makes sense at all because it would give Microsoft a major beach head or toehold in the world’s largest social networking site and best of all it could thwart any incoming attacks from fierce competitors Google or Yahoo! (there have been rumors that Google got plan to buy Facebook.). By 2009 we could expect more to come for Facebook development is on rampage and impressive growth. Microsoft should not let Google makes a sneak attack on Facebook. Microsoft should move fast before its too late, Google is on guard waiting to attack.

Facebook postponed payment system.

After a year of intense planning and beta testing Facebook decided to postpone its plans to roll out its very own payment system for users and application developers Silicon Alley reports. But for me its sounds crazy, I believe Facebook need a Payment system, the said payment system will allow Facebook applications to start accepting payments from users directly inside their Facebook applications, a system that allow users to conduct e-commerce translations without the need for third party system such as Paypal. The Facebook Payment system would make purchasing of goods and services much more integrated with the Facebook experience. It will also become a significant revenue generator for Facebook through Commissions; it will give Facebook a lot more credit cards information on file that could be use for future transactions such as buying virtual gifts. The scraps plans for Facebook Payment System created a buzz at Facebook. Developers end up being forced to work harder. Facebook has been building a little economy, and we all knows there’s a little buying and selling going on at Facebook, a Payment System could make sense. I’m sure there’s a plenty of good reasons for Facebook decision to postpone the roll out of its very own Payment System.

Facebook threaten Google's Business.

Much of what net prophets preached about Facebook has now come to pass. Facebook long ago has passed archrival MySpace on global page view and user base. MySpace’s stronghold, the US market is also under siege. Facebook is getting stronger in US, its number continue to climb. But the most surprising and shocking of all is Facebook is gaining ground on Google in time spent on the web. According to a recent comScore report Facebook is the sixth most trafficked site in the US, it got 65 billion page views per month. Users spend an average of 20 minutes on the site daily, there are now 2.6 billion minutes spent on Facebook each day according to a recent statistics on user growth and engagement. Facebook has now reached 140 million active users and it’s expected to hit 200 million by the year 2009. About 70 percent of Facebook growth is happening outside the US according to Mike Arrington, there are now 52,000 apps on Facebook built by 660,000 third party developers, that’s a terrible platform. Users engagement were also impressive, more than 13 million users update their profile at least one each day. Up to 700 million photos have been uploaded to the site each month and more than 4 million videos uploaded each month, that’s huge and awesome. According to comScore users spent 33.9 billion minutes on Facebook compared to 41.6 billion minutes on Google, comScore got another report on November for the US, its estimates that users spent 8 billion minutes on Facebook compared to Google’s 8.5 billion minutes, that’s pretty close! The US gap between Google and Facebook is getting closer. Google relied mostly on its core technology - online search to get traffic while at Facebook it’s about platform and applications. This sounds trouble for Google; the Search Company has a business plan that depends on the web being used by as many people as possible. Google has relied on an open internet to make its entire business. Facebook is a threat to that business users tend to stay within their network and communicate among themselves they’re not using Google. Indeed they’re using Facebook application such as Slide’s SuperPoke or iLike.

Facebook rampage on Europe.

Facebook the hot social networking site is making a strong buzz on the web. The social networking site has now an estimated 140 million active users, and it’s expected to hit 200 million active users by the year 2009. But according to its current growth rate it would miss that prediction (the 200 million mark will miss). According to site statistic Facebook is currently adding only between 600,000 to 700,000 users per day , based on my own calculation it will miss ( I admit I’m not a math person nut my Facebook’s number is correct), it more like to hit the 200 million mark by March. The Facebook’s international push got a huge effect on its growth, 70 percent of Facebook growth it’s happening outside the US. The Company got very strong presence outside US. In Europe for example, it got a strong mainstream buzz. Take a look at Spain, home to a population of approximately 40 million people, According too InsideFacebook penetration in Spain has reached 5.7 percent; it’s had a 600 percent growth in Spain. We expect that by 2009 Facebook will grow stronger.