[ad_1]
Facebook launches a new brand of experimental apps for consumers, developed under the label "NPE Team, from Facebook". (NPE stands for "experimenting with new products".) The team will develop new applications for iOS, Android and the Web, with a focus on consumer services similar to the Microsoft Garage Group.
In a blog post announcing the new team, the company says it's "decided to use this distinct brand to help set the appropriate expectations for users: NPE Team applications are going to change very quickly and will be closed if we learn that they are not useful for people. "
Facebook is no stranger to strange experimental applications. The company's past is littered with abandoned products launched or purchased by Facebook over the years, including Moments (a photo collection service designed to gather all your photos in one place), Notify (to subscribe to notifications), Lifestage (a Snapchat clone), Poke (another Snapchat clone), Slingshot (a third clone other than Snapchat), Tbh (an anonymous social media application), Moves (a fitness tracking app), and Hello (a custom Android dialer), just to name a few.
Having a dedicated group that can experiment with new services like this at a faster pace, which is also further away from the basic Facebook brand, seems like a good idea. It allows Facebook to try new things with less pressure and without fear that if something does not work, it will not disrupt the entire Facebook brand. It also sets low expectations. Facebook is ahead of the fact that it's "waiting[s] many failures "and that applications will be closed if they are not useful.
We do not yet know what kind of applications will be launched by the NPE team or when to expect it. But with the announcement of the brand, there is a good chance that we are looking forward to the first services.
[ad_2]
Source link