Google is apparently looking to unify its messaging services under a single brand, according to a report from Geek. With the likes of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) and Apple iMessage both having huge success on their respective mobile devices, Google must be feeling the pressure to streamline its various methods of messaging.
The company currently serves up plenty of different ways to communicate across various apps. To name a few, there’s Google Hangouts, Google Talk, Google Voice, and Google Messenger. Plus, while we’re talking about messaging, there’s also just regular text messaging on Android phones. Some of these appear on certain websites, some on certain apps, some on a random combination of apps and websites. The chatting functionality itself is decent, but the branding is a total mess.
Once Google launches Babble, it will put RIM’s BlackBerry Messenger at a disadvantage, being the only service of the three mentioned without desktop compatibility. iMessage is available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Babble, likely coming in the form of an Android app and web-based client, would be available to anyone on any computer and Android device.
There’s no official word from Google yet confirming plans or release of Babble, but the company is expected to unveil the service at its highly anticipated Google I/O developer conference this year.
[via BGR]