Google says it is developing a new application programming interface (API) that will allow developers to integrate their apps with Google Now.
Soon, users will be seeing their app-related information on the same Google Now cards that show information provided by Google-only products. Google Now currently provides card-based information from a limited selection of 40 apps in a pilot program that allows Google to test the viability of providing information from its competitors.
At SXSW last week, Google Now director of product management Aparna Chennapragada shared with Danny Sullivan of Marketing Land a few "behind the scenes" tidbits about Google Now and its predictive capabilities, according to The Next Web. When asked by an audience member how Google plans to handle information from competing services, Chennapragada says the information provided by Google Now will depend largely on the user's app usage patterns.
How Google Now started choosing which information to show people began by Google simply guessing what people would want to see, Chennapragada said. However, Google started rolling out an app that asked users what type of information is useful to them during certain times of the day. Over time, Google had conducted several surveys of thousands of users, allowing them to identify which pieces of information users want to see.
Chennapragada also relies on her own personal experiences to identify the direction of Google Now. She said, in a recent visit to Disneyland, she came up with the idea of including information about theme park ride queue times, although she did not mention when one could expect such a feature on Google Now.
One thing the Google Now team intends to focus on is identifying the types of notifications that are most relevant and appropriate to individual users. Chennapragada said personal preferences, such as how long a user waits before arriving at the airport, vary significantly from person to person and this affects what information to show and when. She said over the next six to 12 months, her team will work more on integrating a user's personal preferences into Google Now.
More than 30 developers have already integrated their apps into Google Now. These include news and content sites such as The Economist and The Guardian, music apps such as Pandora and Shazam, fitness apps such as Runtastic and Strava, travel apps such as Airbnb and TripAdvisor, and ride-sharing app Lyft.
When Chennapragada announced these app integrations in January, she said Google plans to add more cards from more apps in the future.
