Microsoft is trying to create a “super app” that will integrate a messaging platform, shopping, search on the web as well as news in a single app, an obvious attempt to follow the Apple and Google platforms.
According a publication of The information, η Microsoft βρίσκεται στα πρώτα στάδια της κατασκευής μιας “super εφαρμογής” υπό την καθοδήγηση του CEO της companys Satya Nadella. Nadella reportedly instructed Microsoft developers to better integrate Bing, the company's search engine, with other services and applications, such as Microsoft Teams and Outlook, laying the groundwork for the "super app."
While it's unclear whether Microsoft will eventually release such an app, people familiar with the discussions said CEO Satya Nadella has laid the groundwork by pushing the Bing search engine to work better with other Microsoft mobile products. For example, it asked Bing to integrate with Outlook's messaging and email apps, making it easier for customers to share search results in messages.
Microsoft is not a purely consumer-oriented company, as most of its revenue comes from selling software and corporate sales. Microsoft has previously mentioned ambitions to become more consumer-friendly by offering services such as the "super app". Microsoft has failed to acquire major apps and social media platforms like TikTok and Pinterest in the past, which could have been part of the company's bigger plans.
Today's announcement shows Microsoft's interest in overtaking Google to become the default search engine on the iPhone. Google pays billions to Apple every year to remain the default search engine on the iPhone and while the users they can change it, the default setting puts Microsoft's Bing at a disadvantage. According to The Information, Microsoft had talks high-level meetings with Apple to try to outbid Google, but were unsuccessful.
Negotiations to date have typically taken place directly between Nadella and Apple's top executives behind closed doors, leaving many top Microsoft executives in the dark about the process.
The publication notes that Microsoft in 2012 ran a PR campaign to show how Bing was used far more by visually impaired people compared to Google. But the trick wasn't "enough to win Apple's approval."