Will Fmail be the Gmail Killer?

Recently Facebook introduced an integrated email platform to their hugely popular social networking site.

@facebookmail.com email will be integrated with Facebook messages, SMS and other chat clients and the sending of these messages will feel more like 'chat' (with no subject line) than traditional email. To many it seems an obvious step, but now that the dust has begun to settle, will it be a popular add-on, and exactly why have they done it?

There appears to be a general consensus of opinion that suggests that using a Facebook email account will be in addition to user’s existing email accounts and not instead of. It would therefore be simply another place to go and check for email messages.

Concerns over privacy and data protection have haunted Facebook for a number of years. Email is a tool often used to convey messages to specific individuals, containing private content of a personal or business nature. Have they done enough to convince users of their commitment to data protection?

But Facebook is giving careful consideration to its future. It is clear that the popularity of social networking will only rise further, and the next generation will have different demands of their chosen message platforms and will adopt and influence newer conventions. It is generally regarded that the newer generation(s) will be more receptive to a less formal and integrated approach to messaging.

Those who remember being taught how to construct a letter 'properly' while at school may well be in agreement. And where will it all end?...well it probably won't.