Report: Google is Making Some Sort of Unified Communications App

Blackberry used to have this unified inbox service or app that let you combine communications from a variety of services. It was super handy as a catch-all location for all of the notifications that came from messaging or email apps. According to a new report, Google may be working on something similar.

The Information is reporting today that Google is making a mobile application for its business or G Suite customers that “brings together the functions of several standalone apps,” like Gmail and Drive, Hangouts Meet and Chat.

It’s hard to know what that means exactly. Will you be able to respond to emails through this app? Will you be able to access documents and video calls and conversations too? Why do that within a single app and not just from notifications you get from those apps separately?

The details here are scarce, but I can imagine it’s because of the popularity of apps like Slack, that have integrations with all sorts of services. Or maybe Google is bored again and needs to come up with another new way to communicate. Who knows.

It sounds like to start, this new app will be a part of G Suite, so you may never see it. After all, we’re still waiting on Hangouts Chat to open up to consumers.

// The Information (Subscription) | The Verge