Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) is exploring its next big thing by launching a test of a voice over Internet Protocol system — with which users can place a call via Wi-Fi or cellular connection — in Canada. It’s integrated in the company’s Messenger app and is available on Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS devices
If the VoIP system gets traction, Facebook plans to roll it out to other countries and add it to Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android platform — a clear threat to traditional carriers like Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T (NYSE:T), as well as smaller operators like Vonage (NYSE:VG) and Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Skype.
After all, Facebook has more than 1 billion users who visit the site frequently, including strong adoption on mobile traction, as illustrated by Messenger’s 12th-place ranking in the App Store.
The caveat: VoIP uses data, which, depending on your data plan and whether you have Wi-Fi, might not actually make the service cheaper to use.
Tom Taulli runs the InvestorPlace blog IPO Playbook, a site dedicated to the hottest news and rumors about initial public offerings. He is also the author of “How to Create the Next Facebook” and “High-Profit IPO Strategies: Finding Breakout IPOs for Investors and Traders.” Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
A long-time follower of the IPO scene, back in 1999 Tom started one of the first sites in the space called WebIPO. It was a place where investors got research as well as access to deals for the dot-com boom. Tom also wrote the top-selling book, Investing in IPOs. In it, he covers all the aspects of analyzing an IPO, such as reading the prospectus, detecting the risk factors and understanding some of the arcane regulations. But don’t worry — if that process is too intimidating for you, thankfully Tom will do the legwork for you right here in the IPO Playbook blog.
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