The feud between Google and Apple is a seemingly unrelenting rivalry. But in the sphere of messaging, it seems that Google is getting a leg up on the competition.
On Dec. 22, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google is working to release a new app that will allow developers to build their own applications that can easily plug into an instant messaging window. This will result in a virtual assistant of sorts, that allows users to interact more directly with applications, facilitating a number of tasks through an interface similar to Facebook Messenger.
And considering the recent app boom that transpired, now is a better time than ever to be investing technology in apps. According to a recent report, app usage increased by 76% in 2014 alone; that translates to more than two trillion app sessions that year.
As 2015 comes to a close, these apps with built-in messenger capabilities are certainly becoming a trend of their own. So much, in fact, that tech nerds have dubbed it “ChatOps.”
And according to many a tech expert, Apple should be worried about the rise of these revolutionary messenger innovations.
Matt Weinberger, Business Insider columnist feels that while Apple’s strategy has thus far been very successful, its strategy is dependent on many interdependencies.
Apple has made their name through selling iPhones and creating hype after hype as they release new models. But even if customers are buying Apple products, they are using Google’s messaging applications to communicate.
Weinberger writes, “If people start to get their apps from Facebook, or Google, or Atlassian, or Slack, suddenly the Apple App Store gets a lot less central to the conversation. And Apple has shown little expertise in either advanced cross-platform messaging or artificial intelligence, meaning a competitor may be far-off, if it happens at all.”
And if the Facebook Messenger app starts working for all applications, why would users take to the Apple App store at all?
It’s certainly food for thought. Take a bite out of that, Apple.