After Musk, Microsoft is also aiming for the super app to challenge Apple and Google
Microsoft executives are considering building a 'super app' that will allow the tech giant to offer a variety of services and products in one place
Microsoft aims for “Super App” to loosen Apple and Google's grip on mobile search.
The Redmond-based tech giant is reportedly developing a "super app" that combines functions such as shopping, messaging, web search and news feed under a single title to try to counter the Apple-Google duopoly in the mobile search sector. The Information reported it, citing people familiar with the matter.
So-called “super apps” are popular in China and other parts of Asia such as Chinese tech giant Tencent's popular WeChat. A super app is seen as the Swiss Army knife of mobile apps, offering a suite of services for users such as messaging, social networking, peer-to-peer payments and e-commerce shopping, Reuters points out.
Microsoft executives also want the app to boost the company's multibillion-dollar advertising business and Bing search, as well as attract more users to Teams messaging and other mobile services, The Information added.
And Microsoft isn't the only one eyeing China's super app model. Even the American billionaire Elon Musk, new owner of Twitter, has made it known that "The purchase of Twitter is an accelerator to create X, the app of everything". In the tweet published in early October, before finalizing the acquisition of Twitter , Musk explained that the platform will be functional to the creation of an unspecified all-encompassing app.
All the details.
MICROSOFT'S PLANS FOR A SUPER APP
According to The Information, it's unclear whether Microsoft will roll out such an app, but CEO Satya Nadella has been pushing for Bing's search service to work better with Teams and Outlook.
Microsoft still has very limited reach in the mobile phone market, but they want to quench that thirst by creating an all-in-one app that will ideally be a one-stop shop where people can access different services from Microsoft. For The Information, this idea is inspired by the structure of WeChat, which works exactly like this: an app that combines messaging, shopping, games, news and more.
The Chinese app WeChat, operated by Tencent, is the world's largest super app, with over a billion users. Super app is a term to describe an app that often serves as a one stop shop for all your mobile needs. For example, you could order a taxi or food through the app and make payments and messaging at the same time. This eliminates the need for multiple apps for different functions.
As the report points out, Microsoft doesn't have its own mobile app store for smartphone users, unlike Google and Apple, both of which are dominating the mobile market. Additionally, the plan would go beyond offering its products to mobile consumers: Microsoft also wants to expand its services for consumers.
EVEN MUSK IS HAVING MORE THAN A LITTLE THOUGHT FOR TWITTER
Finally, Twitter's new owner Elon Musk has also shown interest in creating a super app called "X" that combines a multitude of services.
When Musk talks about “the app for everything,” he might be thinking of WeChat. The Tesla CEO previously expressed admiration for WeChat, calling the app "awesome" during a meeting with Twitter employees in June. Musk said there is no WeChat equivalent outside of China.
In WeChat, users can message people, do mobile banking, pay for things online or in store, play games, post videos, shop online, call a car, and many other things.
One of the biggest features of WeChat is WeChat Pay. This is a feature where users can scan a barcode in a shop to pay through their mobile or send money to friends through the chat feature. WeChat Pay can also be used for online purchases. And as CNBC recalls, Musk also said he wants to create a money transfer function.
“However, super apps like WeChat haven't taken off big time in Europe, the US and other Western markets,” noted CNBC .
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/dopo-musk-anche-microsoft-punta-alla-super-app-per-sfidare-apple-e-google/ on Wed, 07 Dec 2022 12:50:29 +0000.