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Ryan Taylor
Project Manager - Technology, Morgan Stanley,
New York, NY

Premium Contributor
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Facebook’s long-awaited initial public offering will come in the third week of May, according to a report in AllThingsD.

The tech blog’s co-founder Kara Swisher broke the news Monday, citing multiple sources (and boasting that she called 143...). A May IPO would mean Facebook has to file papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission within the next few weeks if a review is to be completed in time.

The timing of IPOs is always variable, as market fluctuations and developments at the company in question can affect its estimated value. Dips in the market delayed a few notable tech IPOs in the past year, such as that of social gaming company Zynga.

Also Read: Facebook Unveils Netflix, Spotify Media-Sharing Apps

There have been a string of reports on the timing of Facebook's IPO due in large part to its forecasted size. With more than 800 million users worldwide and a user base that spends a lot of time on the site, Facebook is expected to raise up to $100 billion.

One question for CEO Mark Zuckerberg is how going public will impact innovation. His company has opted for continued experimentation rather than caution of late, unveiling “Timeline,” a thorough redesign of user profiles, in the second half 2011. A series of others updates accompanied "Timeline," such as applications from the likes of the Washington Post and Spotify.

The roll out of "Timeline" has been slow and public reaction has been mixed, but that alone won't stop the Facebook express.