According to people with knowledge of the situation, Microsoft recently discussed creating a “super app” that might combine services for shopping, messaging, news, and online search, among others, according to a report in The Information on Tuesday.
According to the report, Microsoft considered developing the app to reduce Apple’s and Google’s dominance of the mobile search market.
According to The Information, Microsoft officials expected the app to increase usage of Teams messaging and other mobile services, as well as the company’s multibillion-dollar advertising business and Bing search.
Microsoft did not immediately answer a request for comment from Reuters.
According to the report, the business has yet to say if it would release such an app, but CEO Satya Nadella has pushed for the Bing search service to work better with Teams and Outlook.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and the owner of Twitter, has expressed interest in creating a super app called “X” that would bring together a variety of services.
The Swiss army knife of mobile apps, the super app offers users a range of services, including chatting, social networking, peer-to-peer payments, and online shopping. Tencent Holdings’ WeChat and South East Asia’s Grab Holdings made it popular in Asia.
According to Scott Galloway, a marketing professor at New York University and co-host of the tech podcast “Pivot,” these massive applications are frequently utilized in Asia since mobile is the primary method of access to the internet for many people in the region.
According to one estimate, the Chinese mega app WeChat has more than 1 billion monthly users and permeates every aspect of everyday life in China. Users can purchase items from merchants, send money to friends and family, or book a cab.
