As the demand for real-time video is higher now, Facebook counterattacks Zoom and Microsoft. The number of video calls more than doubled in many countries on Messenger and WhatsApp. Also, views of Facebook Live and Instagram Live videos increased significantly. That’s why they introduced Messenger Rooms. This is a virtual place where users can create a room from Messenger, on Facebook, and invite up to 50 people. The option is free and there is no time limit. In order to make a difference, Facebook emphasized the privacy of the Rooms.
Friends and communities can start and share their rooms, either through News Feed, Groups and Events. This option will also be available soon from Instagram, WhatsApp and Portal. Any user can find rooms created by their friends or the communities they are part of and join from their phone or computer. Also, with the Messenger app, users can play with augmented reality (AR) effects and new Artificial Intelligence (AI) features.
The creator of a room can choose who can see and join it and also remove people or lock the room. Messenger Rooms is going to be available in some countries, this week. Then, Facebook will expand it to the rest of the world.
The battle started earlier
In fact, Facebook started to take advantage of the present situation on all its platforms that offer video calls or videos. It announced it would expand WhatsApp group calls to up to eight participants.
On Facebook, it brought back the Live With feature, which allows users invite another person into their live broadcast and stream it. Also, in the coming weeks, users will be able to integrate this feature into Facebook Events. Also, passionate gamers could livestream games from their phone, using the Facebook Gaming app. They already have another option available – Tournaments, which allows anyone create, play and watch competitions.
On Instagram, users can watch and comment live videos, directly from their desktops. Also, they can save their live videos to IGTV, in order to keep them beyond the 24-hour limit in Stories.
The company announced that soon, Portal devices owners could go live directly to Facebook and Groups. Although they can broadcast to their profile at the moment, later this month they will be able to share with their communities. Here, anyone can take advantage of the AI-powered smart camera.
Also, Messenger Kids will be globally available, with new features. This helps children stay in touch with their friends, colleagues and family, in a safe environment that parents can supervise. The app will be extended to more than 70 countries.
The competition is getting tougher
As, during the lockdown, people used more than ever the video solutions to stay connected, the battle between the providers is getting tighter. Facebook counterattacks Zoom and Microsoft groups, as they are the most important competitors, at this time. So, some companies try hard to adapt their solutions to the situation, while others seem to get ready for the future, when people might need to use more such solutions as working remotely may become the standard.
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