It seems that wait of the staunch Facebook loyalists is finally over. For those of you who can’t access Facebook regularly through their mobile because of the slow bandwidth, here comes a good news.
Size Zero is really in vogue. After Kareena created buzz with her size zero looks in Tashan, Facebook is planning to release a size-zero text-only mobile site version of m.facebook.com dubbed as Zero. This would facilitate mobile Internet users with low bandwidth connection in accessing Facebook whenever they wish to as Facebook zero would be a completely stripped down version of Facebook Mobile site.
After getting revamped on its sixth birthday, this is another major initiative on Facebook’s part to further cement its place as a social networking giant.
Recent surveys have confirmed what was so obvious. Facebook has leapfrogged other websites in almost every field, be it number of users, mobile users, shared content or the percentage growth.
Though the much hyped Facebook Lite was launched before, it was not successful. Whereas Zero would be much more lighter and won’t include data intensive photos. This version is aimed at further expanding the already huge user base of Facebook by providing faster updates. However, only text and no photos or graphics could be seen in this version.
Facebook plans to start this version within few weeks. At present if accessed, zero.facebook.com opens with a notice “your carrier doesn’t support the service yet”. Hopefully, after the operators agree for the interface, Facebook Zero would be available in a month or two.
Will It Make An Impact In India?
India’s 500 million mobile phones make for a very lucrative market for Facebook. Already one of the top social networks in the country with over 5 million visitors from India in December 2009. Facebook is also ranked as the 4th most visited site in India as per alexa.
Keeping all this is mind the new size zero could be one of the key elements for further penetrating the Indian market as far as facebook is concerned. Operators in India are anyways using facebook as a hook to get users (Check the dhoni aircel facebook ad). This size sero will be an added advantage for any operator to showcase on its network and pull in new users. For facebook too it would work as it would mean access to facebook on lower bandwidth which is what India suffers from anyways.
You need to understand that Facebook had paid Aircel for including Facebook as part of the Aircel Dhoni campaign.
Having said that few mobile phone manufacturers have been including Facebook, linkedin, orkut etc.. in their ads in a subtle manner to showcase the Social abilities of the phone.
Indian users will dump facebook pretty soon, it just doesn’t work for india. No matter if it is world wide web, when it comes to social life,
everything in the site has to be Indian, everything has to be something user can relate to. Facebook is too big to cater for every country, you will have some country specific networking sites comeup and will take the lead.
Ofcourse, typical Indian mentality has a liking for “angrezi”, when it matters, they will settle down and switch, it’s all transitory ..
Adios ..
Why don’t you think it will work in India? Knowing facebook they will find a way?