Popular messaging app imo.im to end support for third-party IM networks starting Mar. 3
In emails sent out to users on Friday, imo announced that it will be discontinuing support for all third-party instant messaging networks to focus on a build-out of its own platform.
The somewhat abrupt change in policy comes as a surprise to some who downloaded the imo app specifically for its ability to aggregate and manage instant messaging accounts across multiple platforms. Starting Mar. 3, imo will begin cutting off support for third-party networks.
Users can download chat history via the o.imo.im Web client. Cached messages from third-party networks will be available until Mar. 7.
The news comes after Facebook purchased messaging app WhatsApp for a staggering $16 billion earlier in February. The service is popular around the world, but most importantly has a huge user base in Europe, where Facebook is not as dominant as it is in the U.S.
The somewhat abrupt change in policy comes as a surprise to some who downloaded the imo app specifically for its ability to aggregate and manage instant messaging accounts across multiple platforms. Starting Mar. 3, imo will begin cutting off support for third-party networks.
According to the app's iTunes description, over ten million people use the platform across Facebook Chat, Google Talk, ICQ, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, Jabber and Steam. Recently, imo has been concentrating on migrating users to its own service, which includes free mobile VoIP and video calling and a unique Web interface.We originally launched imo as a browser based messaging service to manage all of your IM accounts. Since then we have also developed apps for Android, iPhone, iPad and Amazon.
To provide the best and most reliable service for our users, we need to focus on the areas we feel we can make the biggest impact. We are now going to concentrate on building out our own communications platform to help people easily connect in their everyday lives. Our goal is to create the fastest and most reliable messaging, voice and video call service in the world.
On March 3, 2014, we will start discontinuing support for all third-party instant messaging networks. We know change isn't always easy, but we hope our users will trust that this will make imo an even better service.
Users can download chat history via the o.imo.im Web client. Cached messages from third-party networks will be available until Mar. 7.
The news comes after Facebook purchased messaging app WhatsApp for a staggering $16 billion earlier in February. The service is popular around the world, but most importantly has a huge user base in Europe, where Facebook is not as dominant as it is in the U.S.
Comments
Short indeed, but I'm very curious what they mean by "communications platform".
(I agree with Benedict Evans' assertion that having tons of competing social/IM services is not a problem, thanks to the iPhone and its offspring: you can have all these similar services, and send/receive from them all at once, wherever you are, without needing anything to be running all the time. No big push for "one winner," then.)
They mean their cloud infrastructure for their communication services. Obviously they want their "platform" to be bought.
With Telegram picking up steam and getting better with each release, IMO will have to bring something fresh to the IM game which will set it apart. Otherwise it's DOA... This imo, of course
Who the heck uses all these one-off IM solutions (and how do they convince their friends to bother)?
In my case we're 5 buddies with devices on different platforms: iOS and Android + Mac. Telegram allows us to chat as it is available for Android, iOS, Mac and PC. What sets Telegram apart from say Kik is cross platform/device availability, no need to log off from 1 device to switch to another. (as seen with Kakao, Kik ), and chat history is carried through like iMessage <--> Messages app.
It’s just another messaging app in an already over saturated market. Google will probably snatch them up for $10 bln.
So... What chat apps are cross platform and integrate SMS? I only know hangouts, that's why I use it. It even integrates well with the Mac messages app.
If only it was a bit faster on my Android device and if they had the decency to update iOS and Android versions at the same time... The Android versions looks 10 years older.
There's no convincing needed, one's friends are unaware that the service is being used.
Most Android users? Bullsh1t.
Again, an Android iMessage app is of no benefit to Apple. You say the experience is what Apple should worry about but it's still Android. What version should they release it for? What size if screen? Processor speed? Etc. it ain't worth it.
And as for apps that still support 3rd party apps, aren't Meebo and Adium and Pidgin and Trillian still in business?
Messages on the Mac supports these different chat methods, so should iMessage. This is amateur hour stuff, why hasn't Apple nailed it?
Because iMessage replaces all of them. There’s zero need for redundancy.
"Hey! That reason you actually bothered to download us? We're removing it. We're smart people!"
Insert obligatory remarks about how we really need a standard messaging system, so that we don't have to have a dozen different clients installed on every device to keep in touch with everyone here.
I just uninstalled all my IMO apps from all my devices. I can guarantee you nearly everyone else is too.
Who would disable all external IM services? That's the only reason to use it. Guess they don't mind shooting themselves in the feet with a double barrel shotgun. I mean what the hell!?
Quite unbelievable.
Uh…
In emails sent out to users on Friday, imo announced that it will be discontinuing support for all third-party instant messaging networks to focus on a build-out of its own platform.
But hey, if they want to lose all their customers, that’s fine by me.