Apple Business Chat makes first European appearance at Cannes Lions festival
Apple Business Chat, the company's business-focused messaging feature, made a limited appearance in Europe this week as the backbone of a concierge service providing information and guidance to Cannes Lions festival attendees.
According to developer and commerce solutions provider LivePerson, the Cannes Lions Concierge was the first appearance of Apple Business Chat service in Europe and the first to use Apple's technology to power a digital concierge service. Apple has not yet officially rolled out support for Business Chat in Europe.
Manned by a mix of human representatives and bots, Cannes Lions Concierge offered event attendees quick access to useful information directly from Messages on iPhone and iPad. For example, users were able to ping concierge services about event schedules, shopping and dining, parties, nearby places of interest, current goings-on and more.
"With the vast majority of Cannes Lions attendees using iOS, Apple Business Chat is the perfect solution for the concierge service," said Robert LoCascio, founder and CEO of LivePerson.
LivePerson and its LiveEngage platform powered the launch of Apple Business Chat integrations in the U.S. earlier this year, including a rollout by T-Mobile in April. Other notable partnerships include Discover, Lowe's and The Home Depot, all of which use Apple's service to communicate with customers via Messages on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Introduced with the rollout of iOS 11.3 in March, Apple Business Chat provides businesses an outreach framework directly within Messages. The technology allows users to communicate with companies, and in some cases pay for services with Apple Pay, in a familiar format, all while protecting their privacy.
Cannes Lions is no stranger to new Apple technology. In 2015, festival coordinators integrated iBeacon tech into its official app to facilitate interactive experiences for attendees. Using Bluetooth Low Energy communications, iBeacons allow app makers to build in highly accurate location-based functionality like real-time venue information and social networking features.
Apple itself was on hand at Cannes Lions to accept awards for its marketing and branding efforts.
According to developer and commerce solutions provider LivePerson, the Cannes Lions Concierge was the first appearance of Apple Business Chat service in Europe and the first to use Apple's technology to power a digital concierge service. Apple has not yet officially rolled out support for Business Chat in Europe.
Manned by a mix of human representatives and bots, Cannes Lions Concierge offered event attendees quick access to useful information directly from Messages on iPhone and iPad. For example, users were able to ping concierge services about event schedules, shopping and dining, parties, nearby places of interest, current goings-on and more.
"With the vast majority of Cannes Lions attendees using iOS, Apple Business Chat is the perfect solution for the concierge service," said Robert LoCascio, founder and CEO of LivePerson.
LivePerson and its LiveEngage platform powered the launch of Apple Business Chat integrations in the U.S. earlier this year, including a rollout by T-Mobile in April. Other notable partnerships include Discover, Lowe's and The Home Depot, all of which use Apple's service to communicate with customers via Messages on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Introduced with the rollout of iOS 11.3 in March, Apple Business Chat provides businesses an outreach framework directly within Messages. The technology allows users to communicate with companies, and in some cases pay for services with Apple Pay, in a familiar format, all while protecting their privacy.
Cannes Lions is no stranger to new Apple technology. In 2015, festival coordinators integrated iBeacon tech into its official app to facilitate interactive experiences for attendees. Using Bluetooth Low Energy communications, iBeacons allow app makers to build in highly accurate location-based functionality like real-time venue information and social networking features.
Apple itself was on hand at Cannes Lions to accept awards for its marketing and branding efforts.
Comments
The main feature Messages is missing at this point is Android support. I keep educating Tim and Schiller why this is needed. If as a Mac and iPhone user I wish to quit using all third party messaging services, and continue to chat with everyone, I cannot. With iMessages on Android I’d say bye-bye to Facebook messseger etc. Having a version of iMessage on Android means owning an Apple device becomes even more compelling, considering it comes with end-to-end encrypted chat (that can potentially talk to everyone) bundled in device, by default. This and simplified iMessage signup and we’d be on our way.
(Yeh, I realize that won't stop everything. But, you do what you can to minimize the risk)
In order for that to work for you, you would have to get all your Android based FB friends to download and install Apple's Messages app. Which would put them in the exact same spot you're trying to get out of, the need for multiple messaging apps.
What would be more ideal for you (and most users) is for Apple to allow 3rd party messaging protocols in Messages.
I don't see SMS going away—although I do like Google's idea for a more robust, SMS-like, universal service—but I don't see 3rd-party chat clients being added to Messages on any platform going forward.
I just looked at Mojave Beta 2 and noticed there's no option for adding anything else. That sidebar is now gone. I could've sworn it was there in Beta 1, but I can't be certain. There's also no Add Account option in the Menu Bar dropdown. I don't see these getting folded back into the app nor for iMessage to get cross platform support, but I would like the latter if it could be made secure. Maybe iMessages in iCloud will lead to that.
PS: I love using my Mac to make and send phone calls via my iPhone. That said, I really dislike how the service is still pushed via the FaceTime app. It works, but it also feels so bolted-on. They could also use with an option for a virtual phone keypad on screen because not everyone knows that they can use the number bar on their Mac to execute the tones while on a call, or that the small phone call overlay needs to be the foremost window for it to work.
I never use my phone number for iMessage and frankly I'd disable my phone number in iMessage altogether as receivable if it wasn't locked in for all iPhone users on iPhones.
Furthermore, if you want to give out a phone number for non-friends and family you should get a free phone number from some service, like Google Voice, that will not only take your calls, get audible VMs, and take your SMS messages, but will transcribe them (hysterically bad most of the time) into an email that you'll immediately receive with a link to the audio if you need it. I hate listening to VMs so I'm happy to have this repository so I can scan the text quickly to see if it's something I should listen to… which is almost never the case.
Most smartphone users in Europe don't own an iphone.
>Fit like Hilton.
<Good morning, my name is Anna. How may I help you?
>Hoo muckle points hiv ah got on ma acoont? Enuff fir twa nichts at th' New York Hilton Midtoon?
<I... er...
>Fits at Anna? jist th' wan nicht en?
<... computer says no.