AS IT IS 2016-10-05 Coming Soon to the Office: Facebook at Work

AS IT IS 2016-10-05 Coming Soon to the Office: Facebook at Work

Facebook recently estimated¹ that each of its users² spends an average of 50 minutes a day on the company’s online social network.

But the company wants to find ways to increase the time spent on Facebook and two other services, Instagram and Messenger³.

A new product aimed at capturing⁴ our interest is called Facebook at Work.

Some businesses bar workers from using Facebook (openly) on the job. Now those individuals actually can use the service -- at least for work purposes.

Facebook at Work is separate from a users’ personal Facebook. So people will need to sign up with the company for a new account. The idea, however, is exactly the same as Facebook – to connect as many users as possible, this time in the workplace.

Same Facebook look

The look and feel of Facebook at Work is just like the old Facebook. There are groups to join, a News Feed to read, and instant messaging to stay in contact with co-workers.

Naturally, users can add and share comments, photographs, videos and information about the company and its offices. “A connected workplace is a more productive⁵ workplace,” explains the official Facebook at Work page.

Facebook at Work was first announced about two years ago. Since then, the company has been testing the service with several large companies.

One of those businesses is the Royal Bank of Scotland⁶. Its Director of Design, Kevin Hanley, told Business Insider the service has been helpful to the bank’s 100,000 employees.

“I think Facebook lets us communicate, discuss and solve problems that other solutions, such as email, simply can’t.”

Hanley told the website that within his company, 90 percent of employees who tried Facebook at Work remained active from month to month.

Faces much competition

Facebook at Work will be competing with other workplace products or services already in use. These include LinkedIn, Slack⁷, HipChat, Microsoft’s Yammer and Salesforce’s Chatter⁸.

According to the technology website TechCrunch, Facebook at Work will be launching¹⁰ in London on October 10. The site said it had seen invitations to the launch⁹ event that have been sent out.

Facebook has not yet confirmed a date for launching the service.

Words in This Story

network – n. group of people who know each other or work together

account – n. agreement allowing a person to use a particular website or service

1 estimated   

adj．根据估计的

参考例句：

• She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
• The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。

2 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。

3 messenger   

n.报信者，先驱

参考例句：

• By the time the messenger reached him,the damage had been done.送信人赶到他那儿时，损失已经造成了。
• I'll order a special messenger to deliver the document.我会派专人把文件送去。

4 capturing   

俘获( capture的现在分词 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• Since when is capturing a felon considered interference? 从何时起抓住重案犯被认为是妨碍组员行动？
• Capturing the enemy-held towns is the pivot of our plans. 夺取敌人控制的城镇，是我们计画的轴心。

5 productive   

adj.能生产的，有生产价值的，多产的

参考例句：

• We had a productive meeting that solved some problems.我们开了一个富有成效的会议，解决了一些问题。
• Science and technology are part of the productive forces.科学技术是生产力。

6 Scotland   

n.苏格兰

参考例句：

• He has been hiking round Scotland for a month.他围着苏格兰徒步旅行了一个月。
• Scotland is to the north of England.苏格兰在英格兰之北。

7 slack   

adj.松弛的，萧条的，懈怠的；vt.使松弛

参考例句：

• Slack off those ropes there,there's a storm coming!把那里的绳索放松，暴风雨就要来了！
• Some are hard at work and some are slack in work.有的勤奋工作，有的则消极怠工。

8 chatter   

vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
• I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。

9 launch   

vt.发动，推出；发射；n.发射，下水，投产

参考例句：

• The makers are about to launch out a new product.制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。
• Would it be wise to launch into this rough sea?在这样汹涌的大海中游泳明智吗？

10 launching   

n.（火箭等的）发射；（船的）下水（典礼）；发动；发行v.发射( launch的现在分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• They are launching out into a series of scientific experiments. 他们正在着手进行一系列科学试验。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• John is launching his son on a career in banking. 约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》