Taking a cue from services like Snapchat, Periscope and Meerkat, Yahoo Inc. is allegedly looking to hop on to the mobile messaging bandwagon too.
While the Yahoo Messenger may seem yesteryear, the company is looking to revamp the same by creating a messaging service that is with the times and is able to pack in both live and recorded video sharing abilities.
The latest news comes courtesy of The Information, which reveals that Yahoo is "planning a re-entry of sorts" into the messaging arena. The publication cites a source who has seen the intended Yahoo product.
"Later this quarter it [Yahoo] will unveil a mobile app that combines live and recorded video and text, blending aspects of live video apps like Meerkat, YouNow, and Skype and the recorded video messages popularized by Snapchat, according to a person who has seen the product," claims The Information's report.
According to the report, the Messenger app will be meant for mobile devices, but whether Yahoo will also have a desktop version is not clear. For those wondering when Yahoo's messenger will be ready to make its way to users - by end Q2 2015.
The source also revealed that the Yahoo Messenger app will enable users to not only share files, which include pictures, but also make video calls. Currently, Yahoo Messenger users are only able to send across links and emoticons at best to each other so if this rumor bears fruition, it will be quite a leap of faith for the company.
With Yahoo looking to use elements such as live video on the lines of Meerkat and Skype, the company could be headed in the right direction to give a fillip to its declining presence.
However, the success of the purported Yahoo Messenger remains a question as there are several players vying for consumer attention. Google is allegedly working on a phone dialer app, which will enable users to seek out businesses and individuals. Facebook too supposedly has a dialer app in the works, which has been spotted online.
A major disadvantage for Yahoo will be that competitors like Meerkat, Snapchat and Skype to name a few, have a head start and a loyal user base. To pry away these users from the tried and tested to something new will be a challenge for the company.
Phot Credit: Scott Schiller | Flickr
