Google kept innovating, but somehow there is a limit where it can't do things alone. Google that is sitting on the top of the search engine industry doesn't want to lose its throne in terms of its collaborated personal assistant. For that Google Now is allowing third-party apps to populate its 'cards'.
Google, for what is popular for, it's because of its search engine. But most of the results on its search page aren't owned by Google. They are referenced from others. The search engine gathers data from all over the place and collects it in its database so when a user needs something, it's fetched. Google is always in need of information from others to keep it reliable. And the same strategy is implemented to its Google Now personal assistant.
The company is announcing that, for the first time, it's allowing third-party apps to deliver information to Google Now.
The predictive search app that's built into Android phones, Android Wear smartwatches and the Chrome web browser, is seen as the future of Google's search technology for mobile users. The tool is made to deliver information about what the user needs by understanding his/her habit, interests, browsing history, location, and many more.
Those information are needed to populate data about show traffic to places, sports score, details on flights and reservations, package shipments, calendar appointment, popular news, and weather. Which are them shown in the form of 'cards'.
Prior to Google allowing others to participate in populating its cards, all of the data came directly from the user's Google account.
Starting in February 2nd, 2015, Google Now is formally opened up to a selected group of apps, which each of them will feed data into the Now cards. Users will only see these new Now cards if they have the related non-Google app installed on their mobile device.
Partnering with more than 30 developers, Google said that the change will result in more than 40 new cards being available to users. The company is also planning on bringing more cards to users in the future as Google Now expands. The company released the Now available cards that are app integrated in its website.
"Starting today, the Google app on Android can help you keep up with all the good stuff in 40 different apps at a glance - it'll bring you Now cards to help you out with your day-to-day life, giving you information that's helpful to you, right when you need it," said Google in a blog post.
Google Now itself will not share its own data with third-parties in the process. For example, a few Now cards can be triggered by location, but Google won't share the user's location in that event.
However, once the user taps on the third-party Now card, the corresponding app will be launched and that third-party app will collect data on its own, just like how it does normally. Google Now cards work much the same way as widgets on Android.
More Information, More Informative
A recent study by Google has found out that the average smartphone user has 36 apps installed, but a quarter of them are never used. Google has offered competitive services for this apps, but Google's goal in allowing third-party apps to communicate directly with Now is to give users useful and relevant information.
The move is to make Google Now more useful, and thus more popular among users.
Google Now can be incredibly useful when it gives the right information at just the right time. And with Now-apps integration, it's becoming a lot more informative.
"Maybe you don’t want to ask a question; maybe you want to just have it answered for you before you ask it," said Google's CEO Larry Page.
But the move will also bring to Google Now, for the first time, prompts to spend money.
By opening its doors to other companies, third-party apps that are integrated can push information directly to Google Now. At the moment of the launch, Google is not charging the third-party data providers for referral traffic.
Conclusion
Google Now has become increasingly useful over the past few years, since it was first released in 2012. The service is becoming more integrated into Android and has become an important way to control a smartphone, especially as voice controls become more developed.
Some companies that plan to integrate their services with Google Now have to balance the desire to reach more users with concerns about what information may be too private to share with Google.
Google Now competes directly with Apple's Siri that has also become increasingly smarter. However, Apple's personal assistant has yet to include support for third-party apps as rumored multiple times.
Further reading: Google Now Challenges Apple's Siri
