Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) will soon acquire Emu, a messaging app that adds context to conversations. The acquisition will take place in the later part of August. On Wednesday, in a blog post, the Emu team revealed that it will be acquired by Google. Details of the deal have not been disclosed either by Google or by Emu. The Emu App will be shut down on August 25, which in the later part of last year was made available on Android devices and in April this year it was launched on iPhone, as well.
Similarity with Siri
The app shut-down details were displayed on the company’s website along with a farewell message. Once closed, sending, receiving or downloading messages will no longer remain possible for the existing users.
“We’re super-excited,” the message reads. “But to focus on our next chapter, we have to close the last one.”
Emu bears a lot of similarity with the Siri app and Google Now as it works on a similar principle of adding relevant information to the messages entered by users.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has confirmed the purchase, but as of now no information has been shares on how the internet giant plans to integrate Emu’s features into its technology.
Much more than messaging
Emu was jointly founded by Gummi Hafsteinsson and Dave Feldman in the year 2012. Both have pretty good career records. While Hafsteinsson is a former vice president of product for Apple’s Siri and a senior product manager at Google, latter is a veteran of AOL, Yahoo and TechCrunch. Yahoo Messenger for Windows and for the iPhone was designed with the help of Feldman.
Emu is not just another messaging APP, claims the Startup. There are many unparalleled features of this app that make it stand apart from the crowd. Therefore, calling this app a full-fledged mobile assistant won’t be an exaggeration. Using this app it is possible to schedule appointments, set reminders, share location, check the show times, book the tickets, search for nearby restaurants and book a table and host of other things. This app boasts of an artificial intelligence engine that has the capability of understanding the context of the user from the messages and accordingly provide solutions as per the requirement.
An innovative feature of “magic reply” was also added, which automatically replies on behalf of the user while he or she is driving and hence cannot take a call or message.
