Facebook strengthing mobile platform through streamlined payments, Open Graph

Facebook has discussed how it plans to improve its mobile web functionality in the near future, with app discovery, mobile browser fragmentation and streamlined payments all hot topics. Facebook's director of developer relations Doug Purdy explained at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that the plan is to allow all of its 425 million mobile app users to discover games and apps for iPhone more easily via its Open Graph initiative. According to Facebook, certain apps that already have Open Graph integrated have seen a three-times increase in the number of visits and activities shared on Facebook. Purdy also revealed that Open Graph is coming to Facebook for Android devices soon. Of mobile browser fragmentation, Purdy explained that Facebook has now banded together with a variety of mobile device manufacturers and carriers such as Samsung and Sony to found the W3C Mobile Web Platform Core Community Group -- an effort to accelerate standardization of mobile browsers. He also announced a new mobile browser test suite called Ringmark, which has been released today. Ringmark is designed to help developers understand which functionality a particular app will need. Finally, Purdy touched on the upcoming streamlining of payments through the Facebook mobile app. He explained that the company is looking to minimize the steps it takes to complete a transaction through its Pay Dialog system. The company is currently working with the likes of AT&T, T-Mobile and Vodafone to make this a success.