August 17, 2016

What’s in store for the social media giant this year? We predict 2015 will be the year of Facebook (as if their monopoly really could get any stronger)! In 2014, we saw everything from new messaging apps to new technologies purchased for future projects… makes us wonder what’s coming next – and when!

Messaging

In 2014, Facebook tried to buy the insanely popular messaging app, Snapchat for $3 billion. After Snapchat rejected their offer, Facebook set their site on the messaging app, WhatsApp, buying them over for $16 billion and gaining 600 million active monthly users.

With technology at their fingertips, Facebook decided to create Slingshot, their own ephemeral messaging app. To- date, Facebook’s Slingshot app has yet to rival Snapchat, but we’re willing to bet that Facebook isn’t going to give up that easily. You can expect to see this social media giant experimenting with messaging apps until one becomes a hit!

Virtual Reality

To say we were intrigued when Facebook bought virtual reality headset makers, Oculus Rift, for $2 billion is an understatement. This purchase is huge, as Facebook is making waves in the developer community for the future support they will need while continuing to develop their own technology. We can only hope that this means virtual tours of salons and studio classes will soon be upon us!

Drones

To kick-off 2015, Facebook obtained UK solar-powered drone maker Ascenta, the small, highly accomplished company in the field of solar power. Ascenta is known for having created early versions of the Zephyr - the world’s longest flying solar-powered unmanned aircraft! Facebook plans on using Ascenta’s technology capabilities to have Internet connectivity drones in the air – an effort to which they hope to make Internet connectivity more accessible in certain part of the world - like Africa. This admirable act will be a game changer for education around the world - and we’re all for that!

With all these tech advances in the works, we can only ponder what new and improved communication capabilities Facebook will be offering – we’re thinking 3D hashtags, but you know, that’s just us!