Google is making an all-in-one communication app to take Slack and Microsoft

Google is making an all-in-one communication app to take Slack and Microsoft

After several previous unsuccessful attempts, Google appears to be trying again to tie some of its apps to products targeted at business users.

The Information (via Android Central) reports that the apps will combine Google's video conferencing and text messaging apps Hangouts Meet and Hangouts Chat, respectively, and email and file sharing Gmail and Drive, respectively.

The new apps are currently being tested, but once launched, they will be part of Google's G Suite collection of apps, Google's enterprise product, and will compete with services like Slack and Microsoft Teams.

While this is a product for professionals, the ability to consolidate multiple Google communication apps into one would be an attractive prospect for the average user. Thanks to the smartly designed integration, sending things from one Google app to another is not difficult, but it should still be easier.

iMessage functions similarly, but is less geared toward business use. Apple's messaging service works with multiple Apple and third-party apps, so items such as links, locations, and files can all be sent within the same app without the need to open them separately or use alternative services such as email.

Currently, the closest thing Google has is its own messaging app, which can send location and files, has a companion web app, and can use Google Assistant for certain tasks. However, third-party integration is poor by comparison. This business app in development shows that Google is still figuring out how to add more features to one app, which hopefully means good things for Android users in the future.

Categories