E-mail, IM, SMS All a Part of New Facebook Messaging Service

The Internet was buzzing earlier today amid rumors that Facebook will be announcing an e-mail platform. Many were dubbing it a “Gmail killer,” as the popular social network (which has over 500 million users) could very easily transition into the e-mail market and streamline users’ experiences. However, at a 1:00 special press event earlier today in San Francisco, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg clarified a few important details.

According to Zuckerberg, the new Facebook messaging system “is not an e-mail killer,” but rather “a messaging system that has e-mail as part of it.” What exactly that means yet, very few people know; the service will be rolled out over time as an invite-only add to current users. The aim here, though, is to combine several different mediums into one, meaning that this service will be a combination of SMS (text) messaging, e-mails, Facebook messages, etc.

Although this is apparently not an e-mail service, apparently those who use the service will need to sign up for an @facebook.com e-mail. If it sounds confusing, it’s because it is, but this certainly isn’t the first time that Facebook has been mysterious when launching a new service.

Are you currently using Facebook as a way to communicate with friends, family, patients? If so, are you looking forward to a more streamlined flow of communication, or is this an unnecessary feature that might infringe on your privacy?

To learn more about what to expect and when, visit the links below.

Around the Web

Facebook Upgrades E-Mail to a ‘Modern Messaging System’ [Wired]

Facebook's new messaging system mashes up SMS, e-mail, IM [ars technica]

Facebook Messages Isn’t A Gmail Killer — And That’s The Problem [Forbes]

16 Reactions To New Facebook 'Messages' Service (PICTURES) [Huffington Post]