Facebook is said to be working on a new service that could potentially rival Apple and Microsoft's virtual assistants Siri and Cortana.
Dubbed as MoneyPenny, Facebook's upcoming service will reportedly help users obtain information regarding products, services and other tasks.
According to a report from The Information, the service will be made available through the Facebook Messenger app for mobile devices.
But, unlike the popular Cortana and Siri, MoneyPenny will not be a software-based virtual assistant that gives out automated responses. Instead, its voice and information it provides will be supplied by actual users. It other words, the service will allow other people to answer the queries of users.
Currently, MoneyPenny is only being tested on research and shopping-related tasks. These tests are probably related to checking out the availability of certain products and finding current discount deals.
There are no other details yet regarding its other features. It is also not yet confirmed when the new service will be unveiled to the public. Also, MoneyPenny is an internally-given codename for the service. This means Facebook might call it with a different name once it is officially unveiled to the public.
As to when users can expect to see MoneyPenny, it might be released in the near future since according to various sources, it has already entered testing stages.
Although the functions of MoneyPenny is a bit limited as of the moment, 9to5Google pointed out that Facebook will most likely further develop the features of the upcoming service to cover other fields of interest. After all, during the past few months, the company has already expanded its services outside the world of online social media.
Earlier in March, Facebook launched a service that allows users to send money to their contacts through the Messenger app. Users can take advantage of this feature by linking their Facebook accounts to their MasterCard or Visa debit cards.
Once this step has been completed, a "$" sign will appear in the user interface of the chatbox. Simply tapping on the icon will let users transact with one another. Facebook noted during the launch that the cash transfer service will only be available to U.S. users. The company did not mention if it plans to release it internationally in the future.
Another new service unveiled by Facebook earlier this year allows users to install third-party apps through its Messenger. This then gives users the opportunity to share apps with their Facebook friends.
