Google Babble may challenge iMessage, BBM

Google may be working on a new service called Babble, which will bring together all of its disparate messaging services into one, unified communications service that will include mobile apps. 

Geek.com has spoken with unnamed sources about Google Babble and it suggests that this service will include elements from Google Talk, Hangout, Google Voice, Chat for Drive, Google Messenger and the Google+ chatting. Google Babble will initially be available for Android and Chrome OS but I wouldn't be surprised to see Google extend this to iOS, Mac, PC and make it available through a browser. 

In a way, Google Babble would give Android and the search giant a compelling alternative to Apple's iMessage or BlackBerry Messenger. The report suggests that Google Babble will be based on XMPP and that "you'll need to be using it the way Google wants you to use it." This means that it may not hook into third-party services in a simple way but I'm sure there will be some APIs introduced eventually like there are with BBM. 

We have to remember that this is still an unconfirmed rumor, but the idea of Google Babble makes a lot of sense. Under Larry Page, Google has become a more focused company and it has killed products that don't work while also pushing together other services. Basically, it wants to put more wood behind fewer arrows.

The idea of Google Babble is also highly appealing to me, as I've been using Google Voice full time for more than two years now. There are still loads of problems with voice quality and it's nearly impossible to use on Windows Phone or BlackBerry, but on Android, it's a great experience. If I could get those functionalities with all of the other Google chatting services, I would have no problem using Google for most of my communications needs. 

Google Babble may also be a catalyst for the growth of Google+, which is still technically growing but definitely doesn't appear to be making real strides in its battle against Facebook for user attention. We're seeing strong social networks building around communications platforms like Tango, WhatsApp and Kakao, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Google Babble make Google+ more attractive. 

It's unclear when Google Babble would be introduced but the Google I/O conference is just two months away, so look forward to it being introduced around that time frame. You can be sure we'll keep an eye on any and all Google Babble news. 

[Via Geek]