Amazon’s Next Move: Acquiring A Messaging App Or Developing One

Given its diversification in several areas, Amazon.com, Inc. the retail behemoth is emerging as a potent tech conglomerate and the latest foray could be acquiring a messaging app or if the rumors are right this time, then developing one.

Collabe
Collabe
Jul 21, 2017 · 2 min read

Messaging app, really? Why not?

Real-time messaging apps are on the rise and who could blame if the retail giant wants a piece of the action.

AWS in February launched a workplace communication service Chime and they say “You can use Amazon Chime for meetings, video conferencing, calls, chat, and to share content, both inside and outside your organization.”

Then in May, Amazon unveiled the Echo Show, a version of its popular smart speaker with a touchscreen that includes video calling, free voice calling and messaging to all Echo devices.

After these launches, the market was buzzing with tales of Amazon showing interest in acquiring the mother-of-all messaging app, Slack. By launching Chime and Echo Show we already know that Amazon is intrigued by owning workplace productivity so acquiring Slack does make a lot of sense as a part of Amazon’s portfolio.

But alas, the tales seem to be only rumors since there are new reports.

Going by the recent reports floating in the market, Amazon has been surveying customers about what features they would want in a messaging app. It could be a lot of features that people are already using in other apps rolled into one or something unique that other messaging apps might have missed out.

The messaging app ‘Anytime’ is likely to be feature-rich, an all-in-one-service that would enable users to send and receive messages, images, videos, play games with individuals and groups and above all let them engage with other Amazon services such as shopping, music, food ordering and chatting with businesses.

The messaging app market is crowded with some Goliaths and some Davids namely Slack, Google’s Hangout, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber, Snapchat, Signal, Collabe, Line and this attempt of Amazon looks like another tiny but firm step into social networking.

Whatever be the intentions, either acquiring Slack or developing ‘Anytime’, going by Amazon’s indomitable spirit the retail giant looks like it is all set to give the existing services a run for their money.

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