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Is Google turning Gmail into an App platform?

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Re: Is Google turning Gmail into an App platform?

#11

Post by amirmc »

From the original announcement [1]:

"Today, we are introducing schemas in emails to make messages more interactive and allow developers to deliver a slice of their apps to users’ inboxes.

Schemas in emails can be used to represent various types of entities and actions. Email clients that understand schemas, such as Gmail, can render entities and actions defined in the messages with a consistent user interface."

I haven't looked into this in any depth but it doesn't necessarily seem Gmail specific (a good thing) but it does mean even more clicky buttons in an interface where I can't easily see what those buttons actually do (less good from a security/phishing standpoint).

[1] http://googleappsdeveloper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/introducin...

Re: Is Google turning Gmail into an App platform?

#12

Post by amirmc »

pajju wrote: post #6

Great read, and I'm expecting this to happen sooner too. Think it something like -- the core-emailing is there within gmail, but extend the functionalities via services. Some external app uses to build services on top of emailing. Something like -- Hootsuite on top of twitter, Hootsuite manages and adds value by its own apps. Think: we have Gmail powered apps? A link on top like: my-installed-apps -- to easily naviga…

I'm working on stuff like this but from the ground up. You can't get any meaningful innovation until you can allow people/devs a way to access the system at a deeper level than Gmail will allow.

Re: Is Google turning Gmail into an App platform?

#13

Post by Flenser »

porker wrote: post #8
tokyonoise wrote: post #4

I am skeptical. There are apps out there extending Gmail's possibilities, already. Look at Streak ( http://streak.com ), look at Right Inbox ( http://rightinbox.com ). They are based on Chrome extensions. People use them if they need. The real trouble is Gmail becoming a bulky web app in time. Sending money, now actions in the Inbox. Lots of features, majority will not use. It is unclear, if Gmail will remain an simp…

I use one of the other Chrome extensions extending GMail: http://www.activeinboxhq.com/ . It works well. The one thing Google will need to address is GMail's memory usage - it's bad enough on its own, but once you start adding extensions to it... I no longer keep GMail open unless absolutely necessary. [Edit: link corrected]

should that link be to http://www.activeinboxhq.com/ ?

Re: Is Google turning Gmail into an App platform?

#15

Post by hatu »

What ever happened to "If it ain't broken, don't fix it"? Every product doesn't need to be constantly re-inventing itself.

What most people want from Gmail is a sleek, reliable and fast email client. The Google+ integration is already annoying enough, please stop bloating it with more features.

Re: Is Google turning Gmail into an App platform?

#16

Post by fdr_cs »

jd wrote: post #3
rubinelli wrote: post #2

For once, the answer to the title isn't obviously "no." Can you imagine Gmail as the new Lotus Notes? Specially as third-party vendors flock in to fill the gaps? The potential for lock-in is absolutely dizzying; moving away from Gmail once you have your whole workflow automated would feel like going back to punch cards.

Exactly. pg has also written about "using your email as a todo list" (in Startup Ideas We'd Like to Fund) to partially address the problem of email being more than just a dumb box for all incoming information. Email as it exists today is very obviously broken, and very few players are in a position to change it. (Although there must be some startups with the frighteningly ambitious plan to replace email as we know it…

I don't see anything broken. I send email , people receive emails . Just Works (tm) !

Re: Is Google turning Gmail into an App platform?

#17

Post by blowski »

Makes sense from Google's POV. Separating 'Gmail the email client' from 'Gmail the IMAP/POP/SMTP server', the latter requires a lot of investment with not much return. It seems that most of the value to Google comes from you using their client, since they can:

* show more contextual advertising

* track you as you travel around the web (since you're more likely to be logged in)

* use other Google services - especially Google+

So by adding proprietary features that only mean anything when viewed within Gmail itself, it's a big win for them. Also, once people become used to the microdata, they can gradually reuse it in other Google services. For example - complete a Google form straight from an email, that then does something special on an App Engine product.

Re: Is Google turning Gmail into an App platform?

#18

Post by porker »

Flenser wrote: post #13
porker wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use one of the other Chrome extensions extending GMail: http://www.activeinboxhq.com/ . It works well. The one thing Google will need to address is GMail's memory usage - it's bad enough on its own, but once you start adding extensions to it... I no longer keep GMail open unless absolutely necessary. [Edit: link corrected]

should that link be to http://www.activeinboxhq.com/ ?

Thanks, I've corrected it!

Re: Is Google turning Gmail into an App platform?

#19

Post by brudgers »

What this shows is that Google has given up on product improvements for features. Instead of solving the inbox problem, they are selling "priority emails, now with bigger flames!".

The email problem isn't figuring out what the sender wants me to do with each message, it's figuring out what I want to do. This is e-junkmail and has less to do with making the recipient's life better and more to do with advertising.

Pop-up blocker for email, anyone?

Re: Is Google turning Gmail into an App platform?

#20

Post by saurik »

don_draper wrote: post #10

I'd love for another company to come out that has the clean interface and reliability of gmail, with even more security and better customer service. This is a great time for a disruptor. Any company can compete with many Google products if they have a product that is almost as good, if not better, with way better customer service.

How much would you pay for that? I ask, because Google is doing this for free...
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