Microsoft bots are now available on Facebook Messenger (MSFT, FB)
Paul Sawers / VentureBeat
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Microsoft has announced two new updates to its Bot Framework that are aimed at incentivizing developers to build on their platforms.
Microsoft opened its Bot Directory to developers. The platform is a public directory of bots registered with the Bot Framework. This will allow Microsoft to set a standard for its bots before they're deployed. It is similar to the app review process used by app stores like the Google Play store and the iOS App Store.
Microsoft also added bot support for Facebook Messenger. Developers will now be able to run their bots on Messenger. This will vastly increase the reach of Microsoft bots. The chat app boasts more than 900 million monthly active users. In addition to Messenger, bots made on Microsoft's Bot Framework can be deployed on other platforms including Skype, Slack, text/SMS, and email.
Microsoft introduced its Bot Framework during its annual Build conference in March. The service allows developers to easily integrate various intelligent chatbots into their apps. With these updates, Microsoft hopes to incentivize businesses and developers to build bots for everything. The company is particularly bullish on bot technology, as CEO Satya Nadella believes chat bots will have "as profound an impact as previous shifts in technology' we've had."
Bots and bot stores are appealing to developers looking to avoid app fatigue. The app ecosystem is already oversaturated. Consumers are downloading fewer apps and spending most of their time in only a handful of their favorite properties. Bots provide an attractive alternative to apps: they're easy to interact with, they don't require downloads, and they integrate seamlessly into a number of existing platforms that already have traction, like Messenger, Slack, and Kik.
Messaging apps have evolved from simple text communication tools to platforms that encompass file sharing and commerce. And there's more room to grow.
Will McKitterick, senior research analyst for BI Intelligence, has compiled a detailed report on messaging apps that takes a close look at the size of the messaging app market, how these apps are changing, and the types of opportunities for monetization that have emerged from the growing audience that uses messaging services daily.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:
- Mobile messaging apps are massive. The largest services have hundreds of millions of monthly active users (MAU). Falling data prices, cheaper devices, and improved features are helping propel their growth.
- Messaging apps are about more than messaging. The first stage of the chat app revolution was focused on growth. In the next phase, companies will focus on building out services and monetizing chat apps’ massive user base.
- Popular Asian messaging apps like WeChat, KakaoTalk, and LINE have taken the lead in finding innovative ways to keep users engaged. They’ve also built successful strategies for monetizing their services.
- Media companies, and marketers are still investing more time and resources into social networks like Facebook and Twitter than they are into messaging services. That will change as messaging companies build out their services and provide more avenues for connecting brands, publishers, and advertisers with users.
In full, this report:
- Gives a high-level overview of the messaging market in the US by comparing total monthly active users for the top chat apps.
- Examines the user behavior of chat app users, specifically what makes them so attractive to brands, publishers, and advertisers.
- Identifies what distinguishes chat apps in the West from their counterparts in the East.
- Discusses the potentially lucrative avenues companies are pursuing to monetize their services.
- Offers key insights and implications for marketers as they consider interacting with users through these new platforms.
To get your copy of this invaluable guide, choose one of these options:
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The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of the future of messaging apps.