Facebook Is Planning To Change Its Name Next Week As Part Of Rebrand
Mark Zuckerberg's company, Facebook, is reportedly planning to change its name next week as part of a huge rebrand. The idea behind it is to focus on 'building a metaverse', a source has claimed to The Verge.
According to the source, CEO Zuckerberg will be announcing the change at Facebook's annual Connect conference on October 28. However, the news could be shared even sooner, as the company apparently hopes to shed its social media-focused image.
As it currently stands, Facebook is the parent company, with the social media company Facebook, as well as Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, and others coming under the umbrella term.
What Is Facebook's New Name Going To Be?
As it currently stands, there is no news regarding what exactly the company plans on rebranding its name to. There have been a few guesses, but The Verge has claimed that the name itself is a 'closely-guarded secret', with only a select few people having access to the information.
If the information is being disseminated over the coming days, we'll be sure to update this article.
What Exactly Is Mark Zuckerberg's Metaverse?
You may have heard this term a few times, but the basic premise of Zuckerberg's 'metaverse' is an online world where members of the public can communicate, work, and game in a virtual environment. You may be thinking, well - we're in that now? However, the specific difference of this is that there's a strong focus on a virtual reality element.
Facebook recently said: "Facebook is at the start of a journey to help build the next computing platform. Working with others, we’re developing what is often referred to as the metaverse - a new phase of interconnected virtual experiences using technologies like virtual and augmented reality. At its heart is the idea that by creating a greater sense of 'virtual presence', interacting online can become much closer to the experience of interacting in person."
Zuckerberg himself once implied that VR glasses could one day replace smartphones, saying in an interview: "Once we have really good mature AR glasses we won’t even necessarily need other kinds of screens any more. Things like TVs, tablets could all be digital holograms".
News recently broke that he is looking to hire 10,000 new staff in the EU (European Union) to develop the concept further.
In a blog post, Facebook said: "The metaverse has the potential to help unlock access to new creative, social, and economic opportunities. And Europeans will be shaping it right from the start."