Microsoft is considering creating a “super app” that would combine various mobile services to power advertising and drive users to products like Bing and Teams.
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The company is reportedly considering creating an app that would include a messaging service, shopping, a search engine, a news feed and other features.
Microsoft executives see the super app as a way to grow its advertising business and Bing search foothold. The company hopes to emulate companies like Tencent, which has all-in-one apps like WeChat.
It has not yet been decided whether Microsoft will release such a super app, but Bing may undergo improvements to work better with Microsoft's other mobile products ( Teams and Outlook ).
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Bing is at a disadvantage on mobile platforms compared to Google. The reason for this has to do mainly with the fact that Apple and Google have a contract that will make Google's search engine the default on all iOS devices, just like it is on Android devices.
Unlike its competitors, Microsoft doesn't have its own mobile app store. This reliance puts the company at a disadvantage when trying to attract and retain users.
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A former Microsoft employee said the company has tried to challenge Apple's contract in the past, but Google has won every time. Still, regulators have taken notice of the Apple-Google alliance.
Information source: appleinsider.com
