The back-and-forth between Facebook and Google is expected to reach its peak on Monday, as rumours swirl around Facebook prepping a message service to rival Google's widely popular Gmail.
Facebook this week sent invites to an event slated for Monday at the St. Regis Yerba Buena Terrace in San Francisco. While the invitation does not specify the focus of the event, it features a graphic of two conversation bubbles, leading some industry watchers to think that Facebook's rumoured Project Titan, a web-based email client being billed as a "Gmail killer," may officially take flight.
Citing sources, TechCrunch noted that Facebook's email client is what the social networking giant will showcase at its Monday event. Facebook is also expected to unveil personal @facebook.com email addresses for its users.
And the launch of Project Titan, also known as Facebook Inbox, won't be just a refresh of Facebook's current messaging system, sources told TechCrunch. Instead, it will be a full-fledged webmail offering billed as a true alternative to Google's Gmail.
Additionally, the service is expected to offer features similar to Gmail Priority Inbox, which will let users filter messages based on Facebook contact information and subject. Integration with other Facebook features and capabilities is also possible, including tying in photo sharing, events management and more; all capabilities available today in Gmail in one form or another.
Facebook launching its own Gmail-like email offering would be a new chapter in the ongoing squabble between the two tech titans to own the Internet and social networking.
Over the past several years, Google has been working to become more Facebook-like, so it's only fitting that Facebook tries to out-Google Google.
Part of Google's planned attack on Facebook includes a string of high-profile purchases that bulk up its presence in the social networking game.
Earlier this year, Google purchased social gaming company SocialDesk; social network status and data service company Angstro; visual search engine and online retailer Like.com; and entertainment app-maker Slide Inc.
This article originally appeared at crn.com
Issue: 316 | July 2013
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