The Facebook IPO is Coming!

Finally, we have some news about the most awaited IPO of the year – Facebook. Apparently, a rumor is floating in Facebook offices that Facebook will file its first S-1 before the end of 2011. Mark Zuckerberg has himself said that it is coming, according to a report by Business Insider.

Facebook has long surpassed SEC’s 500 shareholder limit, because of which it will be required to disclose its financial data to the public before the end of April 2012.

There are mainly two main reasons why companies choose to remain private – secrecy and control. After it’s forced to disclose its financials, it will lose the advantage of secrecy. Going by the current trend in tech companies, Mark Zuckerberg will be able to maintain a significant amount of control even after going public, thanks to supervoting shares.

It is rumored to have a valuation of around $80 billion currently, and I expect it to go public in the $100 – $120 billion range, assuming it has continued to grow at the same rate in the past few months.

Going public will also enable Facebook to keep its employees happy, by giving them a way to cash out, and become actual millionaires, not just paper ones.

Going by the encouraging response to the Groupon IPO despite being fraught with problems, I expect Facebook will easily be able to list at a $100 billion+ valuation.

A lot of newly minted millionaires are going to be roaming around Silicon Valley soon, thanks to companies like LinkedIn, Groupon, Zynga, Yelp and now Facebook going public.

Facebook introduce app for iPad

Many of you have been asking about Facebook for iPad. Today, it’s finally here. With the iPad app, you get the full Facebook experience, right at your fingertips. It’s a fun way to keep up with friends, share photos, chat and more.

Here are some of the highlights.

A hands-on Facebook
Use your fingertips to scroll through your News Feed. Give the screen a swipe to page through albums. Pinch a picture to zoom in. Whatever you’re up to, using Facebook on your iPad just feels fun.

Bigger, better photos
Photos really shine on the iPad. They’re bigger and easy to flip through, like a real photo album. It’s like having a slideshow with all your friends and memories, wherever you go.

Navigate anywhere, fast
Your games, apps, groups and lists are in the left-hand menu, so you don’t have to dig around to find the stuff you use most. And your messages and notifications are at the top of every screen, so you can respond to friends and keep up with important updates—without losing your place.

Chat, games and other features
The app comes with a bunch of other new features: You can chat with friends right from your iPad, for example, or play games and use apps in full-screen mode. You can also watch high-res videos inline, record HD video and stream to Airplay devices.
Get the App
Facebook for iPad is now available in the App Store.

We’ve also made several improvements to the iPhone app and m.facebook.com. With your next update, you’ll see a simplified navigation, faster search and access to more games and apps.