Facebook Israel development center general manager Israel's center is part of one of Facebook's most important projects, called Internet.org.
By NIV ELISPeople are silhouetted as they pose with mobile devices in front of a screen projected with a Facebook logo.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Facebook Israel will be hiring 40 new employees, its local team announced Sunday – 30 for its R&D center and 10 for marketing.The announcement by Facebook Israel development center general manager Roy Tiger and country general manager Adi Soffer- Teeni comes a year-and-a-half after the social-networking giant acquired local startup Onavo for $120 million and turned it into its Israel R&D center. An earlier Israeli acquisition by Facebook was moved to the US.Israel’s center is part of one of Facebook’s most important projects, called Internet.org, Tiger said.“The goal is to connect two-thirds of the world to the Internet,” he said, noting recent successes in countries such as Colombia, the Philippines and India. The initiative helped set up free access to health, education and employment services.“I’m very happy to say that nearly 7 million people used cellular Internet for the first time in their lives because of this service.Seven million people whose lives we’ve affected.”Another initiative, Safety Check, is a tool that can help survivors in disaster areas let loved ones and authorities know their health status.“The Israeli market consists of technology- oriented people and there is a very high penetration of Internet and Facebook,” said Soffer-Teeni.About four million Israelis – half the population – use Facebook each month, while some 3.5 million access the Internet through their mobile devices and three million use the Internet daily. Furthermore, Israelis go online an average of 15 times a day, and 70% of those with Internet connections use the well-known social-media platform.
Last month, Apple opened its development center in Israel, the largest of its offices outside the US. At the time, the company was set to hire 50 new employees, as well.
