Facebook Breaks 20K Application Milestone: The big news today is that facebook has over 20K applications now on the platform. Facebook has hit this milestone in under a year since they opened up the platform to developers.

When facebook launched the F8 platform there was huge buzz. Naysayers said that there would only be a few thousand apps. They were wrong. The facebook application freight train just keep moving along. The big trend to take note of here is that applications are becoming better (less annoying). They are adding more functionality and moving into more complex ground. The velocity of new apps has slowed slightly in the past 3 months. I suspect this is due to a lot of the low hanging fruit being picked already.

There are still huge opportunities for brands and companies to create compelling applications. The idea bank is only partially exploited. Now the hard thinking will have to begin. Facebook has continually changed the rule sets for application developers. Many of the viral carrier mechanisms have been pulled back and this can seriously impede viral velocity. This is a double edged sword. Painful in the short run, but much better in the long run for the entire ecosystem.

As I like to say about developing applications on the facebook platform: “The one constant on facebook is change and continual evolution”. Facebook applications are moving past the Neanderthal stage of throwing food. Apps are now starting to learn how to deliver better tools & experiences to the users. We are currently moving into the bronze age of facebook apps.

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