Facebook targets utility with updated notifications

Facebook expands alert notifications in the form of Facebook Cards to include local news, nearby movies, events, storm warnings, weather information and much more. This will help users get easy access to useful personalized information they may need.

The little red button on your Notifications tab glows red when Facebook has a fresh set of information that concerns you and your previous actions on the website. But, now with Facebook’s new expanded alerts, you will also be able to get information that you need in the same way.

Over the years, Facebook has collected a lot of data from its users about their lives and now it is time they use it for the benefit of its users by enhancing consumer experience. In case, users allow their location to be tracked, Facebook will show better results as per their location. This service however, is optional.

Facebook’s new feature will bring all the data otherwise available on different places, in one place. Users will now be able to see their friend’s birthdays and local news in the same space.

Users will also be able to control the cards they see from the settings. They can add and delete cards as according to the information they wish to see. The social media giant will periodically add more cards.

This feature will be introduced in US first and then for the rest of the markets.

Update notifications feature are being compared to Google Now - which offers similar cards basis the users' location, search history and other such demographics. Prior to this Facebook tried its hands on Facebook M - a virtual assistant on the likes of popular Siri by Apple.

While Google has a headstart in this space, Facebook seems to be trying hard to catch up. However, the fact cannot be ignore that this update makes the notification system crowded, which might not appeal to the users who rely on Facebook for purely social purposes.

Also, Facebook has time and again repeated that it shall not be monetizing the notification space; but with location and other demographic access, lies a huge opportunity to monetize cards.