Microsoft FUSE and Facebook Connect

Microsoft has lit a FUSE

"Matt Thompson, general manager of Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) developer and platform evangelism in Silicon Valley, said the software giant is ready to make moves in the social network/collaboration space beyond its already successful SharePoint software. He said Microsoft Research has about 25 different social collaboration projects they've put under one group called FUSE Labs.

"You're going to see some innovative stuff under social collaboration," he said. "We have a vision for where this is going in the future. Video and telepresence is a key piece. And you'll see a lot more interoperability as well. This can't be a single stack."
Thompson noted that Facebook execs have said they have no plans to develop a private version or social graph for the enterprise, though they haven't ruled out working with partners -- one of which is Microsoft, which owns a stake in the social networking phenomenon.

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"Internal IT is a very fertile ground to disrupt," Thompson said. "The key is there won't be multiple social graphs. I don't think Facebook realizes the big role they have."

That said, Thompson gave Facebook big props for opening up its platform to let users take their Facebook identity with them when visiting other sites.

"Facebook Connect was a very smart thing," he said. "Facebook Connect is growing faster than Facebook.com."

Thompson also took note of Twitter, which he said he loves. Like Facebook Connect, he said a huge percentage of users use the service without Twitter.com as a starting point.

"They're delivering collaboration at 140 characters wherever the user may be," he said."

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