Ben Eidelson, great article. Trust is a key point. You know the heritage and source of an app you download from a company e.g. bank. Using their in-app messaging, you know you’re chatting with your bank. On the flip side, if you start a conversation through SMS or another general chat app, how can you be sure that the person at the other end is REALLY the business they say they are. Perhaps it’s someone pretending to be a business…and they’re ready and waiting to take your credit card details… Additionally in-app chat can set boundaries on privacy, forwarding, and prevent accidental information spillage into the public domain.