Facebook at Work: social network launches 'pilot' for companies

Tests underway for how employees can use news feed, groups and messaging for their work, but will be kept separate from personal profiles 

Facebook at Work is launching for iOS and Android initially

Many companies still ban staff from accessing Facebook during office hours, but the social network is hoping to win over the corporate critics with Facebook at Work, a version of its service designed for use within companies

The new service launched on Wednesday as a test for "pilot partners", whose employees will be able to download the Facebook at Work mobile application for iOS or Android devices, as well as using its website

It is Facebook's move to compete with existing workplace communication and collaboration tools from big technology companies like Google and Microsoft, as well as from emerging startups like Slack

Facebook at Work will use familiar Facebook features like the news feed, groups, messages and events, but has been designed purely for use within individual companies.

Employees' information will not be accessible to the outside world, including keeping it separate from their personal Facebook profiles

Facebook at Work's launch is not a complete surprise, with the Financial Times reporting in November 2014 on the social network's plans for a corporate version, claiming that the project had been "discussed internally for some time"

An earlier report by TechCrunch in June 2014 suggested that "FB@Work" was being developed within Facebook's own staff used feature like groups and messaging for their work

The executive in charge of Facebook at Work is the company's director of engineering Lars Rasmussen, who joined Facebook in 2010 from Google, where he played a key role in the launch of its Google Maps service

Facebook at Work looks like a clear successor to Rasmussen's last project within Google though: Google Wave. Also an online collaboration tool, it launched in preview from in 2009, but was dropped a year later with Google claiming it had "not seen the user adoption we would have liked"

A few years on, the idea's time may finally have come. Microsoft paid $1.2bn for Yammer, another private social networking service for companies, in 2012, while in November 2014 it launched a dedicated Skype for Business communications tool based on its popular voice, video calls and messaging service.

Meanwhile Slack, which was launched in 2013 by Flikr co-founder Steward Butterfield, has signed up tens of thousands of "teams" - companies and teams within larger companies - for its messaging and file-sharing service. In November 2014, a $120m funding round valued Slack at $1.12bn

Facebook at Work could provide a valuable new revenue stream for Facebook, although the company has not revealed how it plans to charge for its new service - or even whether it plans to charge for it at all

Research firm Gartner has predicted that globally, business will spend $344bn on "enterprise software" in 2015. If Facebook can take even a small slice of that, it would make a significant impact on the company's business, which currently is dominated by advertising sales

which currently is dominated by advertising sales

would make a significant impact on the company's business

can take even a small slice of that

has predicted that globally, business will spend $344bn on enterprise software in 2015

even whether it plans to charge for it at all

has not revealed how it plans to charge for its new service

could provide a valuable new revenue stream for Facebook

a $120 funding round valued Slack at $1.12bn

within larger companies

has signed up tens of thousands of teams

which was launched in 2013

a dedicated Skype for Business communications tool based on its popular voice calls

the idea's time may finally have come

a few years on

claiming it had not seen the user adoption we would have liked

was dropped a year later

it launched in preview from in 2009

an online collaboration tool

looks like a clear successor to Rasmussen's last project

played a key role in the launch of its Google Maps service

joined Facebook

suggested that "FB@Work" was being developed within Facebook's own staff used feature

an earlier report

claiming that the project had been discussed internally for some time

for corporate version

reporting in November 2014

a complete surprise

including keeping it separate from their personal Facebook profiles

will not be accessible to the outside world

as well as from emerging startups like Slack

Facebook's move to compete with existing workplace communication and collaboration tools

as well as using its website

launched on Wednesday as a test for pilot partners

designed for use within companies

is hoping to win over the corporate critics

still ban staff from accessing Facebook during office hours

will be kept separate from personal profiles

underway