Case study on Facebook

Abstract

With the release of Facebook, there was no doubt in it reaching the pinnacle. Initially started by the transformation of Face books; Harvard's paper-backed students directory with the entries regarding bio-data of freshmen, into an online website called Facemash where two photos were randomly being put to be voted who is best, it turned into serious business with significant profit potential. As the idea of Facemash was decreed by the school authority an insulting act prompting Zuckerberg to pull the site down, Zuckerberg looked for a plan to elevate the website to yet another level entering rather into the social networking arena. This is where the major turning point came. The social networking site introduced initially with the name 'The Facebook' within no time garnered huge amount of signups and registrations, accompanied by downpour of requests from various other schools asking Zuckerberg to provide them with the similar networking site for their school or either the license allowing them to use the platform employed by Facebook for the development of networking website for their school. But this success triggered various opportunities and problems that were required to be treated in a timely manner to ensure efficient business and market leadership. Case study on Facebook

Introduction

Facebook was started by Mark Zuckerberg in early 2000's initially as a college networking website. Zuckerberg further pursued his interest in computer programming to tweak his university's social networking website where people posted two pictures randomly to pick out the most attractive. As a result, Facebook transformed from just being a social networking website; which initially was started as Facemash, into a lifestyle that nobody at the campus could imagine to live without. Students used to spend hours on Facebook updating their profiles, the consequence; it became an addiction beyond cure at the Harvard University campus. Therefore, Facebook which was only started for fun with friends became a serious business. It was started as students' directory. Mark Zuckerberg digitized the idea and converted this into an unavoidable virtual experience. Facebook, thus, completely revolutionized the social networking experience for the young. Although, it is not just the creation of the networking website, there is more to it which will be covered in the analysis presented forth so as to have a deep understanding.

Discussion

Key Facts

Just after two years of the launch of Facebook, Mark received buyout offer of $750 million because of the influence exercised by it in the market of social networking. It transformed from few programmers working on the coding of the Facebook to over 100 employees and more than 7.5 million users worldwide. Mark had been coding programs and making applications since he was 10 years old before releasing, at 21 years of age, Facebook.

Tons of programs he made were never launched nor seen by anyone else except him because they were not meant to be. He made number of applications at Harvard; one of which is the natural language interface for the playing of his MP3s. Synapse was one prominent program that ...