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Facebook's New Email Client: 'Gmail Killer'

'Project Titan' overhaul of messaging function has insiders abuzz

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 5, 2010 2:53 PM CST
Email

(Newser) – Facebook plans to replace its clunky old messaging system with a fully featured e-mail platform in the hopes of taking down the biggest players in the market. The project’s official internal name is Project Titan, sources tell Michael Arrington of TechCrunch, but unofficially they’re calling it “the Gmail killer.” It’ll have full POP/IMAP support, too, giving users access to their accounts from outside Facebook.

Henry Blodget of Business Insider calls it a “brilliant” move, noting that Facebook is far better positioned to own the email space than Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft ever were, because its core business is already communication. “If Facebook produces an excellent email system, it has a huge opportunity here,” he writes. “Google has already demonstrated that it's possible to come from behind in web mail.”

A screenshot of Facebook's current messaging system.
A screenshot of Facebook's current messaging system.
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 15 comments
submarinesoup
Feb 6, 2010 12:36 PM CST
"Gmail killer?" Get a clue.
OpenMichael
Feb 6, 2010 12:07 PM CST
I was calling it a game changer in the previous post, but I actually agree about the itty-bitty splash. Followed by another. Then another. That's how erosion happens, and that seems to be Facebook's M.O. They just make little changes, bit by bit. And before you know it, they've engendered new habits among their users (bye-bye poking, hello event organizing). But you're right that they've got to improve on the glitchiness.
janbee
Feb 6, 2010 8:29 AM CST
Facebook is just the new AOL-Who? C'mon get real -- if you're some idiot that needs to have their email married to their social network site?? We do promotional model staffing and often b/c of the remote nature of some hires we need to provide clients with photo images of the candidates ahead of time. The number of idiots that want to send us links to a FB or MS page is dumb beyond all belief. It basically says -- "Don't hire me -- if you do I'll just be on FB all day @ work" Email will def be popular with this Snooki set.........good to keep them behind that fence and away from the rest of us. I have access to the "Zoo" anytime I feel like feeding the ani..... Now if you told me they were coming out with eCommerce hosted sites I'd say they could make money -- but to give them email for free? I'm missing the point.

 
social networking • Yahoo • Google • Microsoft • email • Facebook • Gmail • Project Titan • POP/IMAP

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