Just last week a rumor surfaced claiming that Google is looking to remove SMS messaging capabilities from Hangouts. Now, this week, a new rumor involving Google messaging clients has surfaced. According to The Wall Street Journal, Google is working on a completely new, smart messaging platform.
What is going to make this new messaging app “smart” is the rumored use of a system of chatbots. Along with allowing users to message their friends, users will also be able to message a multitude of chatbots with their questions. These chatbots will then use Googles extensive system of algorithms to scour the web and answer user questions with a simple, friendly message. Outside developers can then build and implement their own chatbots into the app giving Google a sort of new search platform.
Unfortunately for Google, its two messaging apps, Hangouts and Messenger, have never been able to reach anywhere near the user base of rivals like WeChat or Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp. Most people choose their messaging platform based on where their friends and family are. It just so happens that the majority of people using messaging services have already chosen the one they use, creating a major issue for Google in their battle to gain ground. If Google can make a truly smart messaging system worth using, and successfully utilize the enormous Android user base by baking it in at the system level, they could win over many users form these rival clients.
If Google can successfully employ this new messaging system it could also help to further solidify Google’s dominance in internet search. Messaging apps are some of the most widely used apps across the billion plus smartphone users in the world. The convenience of being able to have your questions answered without having to leave your messaging app could be huge for many users, keeping them tied in the Google search ecosystem.
This is just a rumor and nothing has actually been made official from Google, but the timing of this rumor does bode well for those of you hoping it is true. As I mentioned above, this rumor comes just a week after the we heard Google may be removing major functionality from Hangouts. On top of that, it is rumored that Google Veteran Nick Fox is heading up the unit tasked with making this new app, and it was just in October where Mr. Fox offered to buy 200 Labs. 200 Labs has been working with chatbot technology for a while now, including the ability to search and choose which chatbot is best to answer a certain question.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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