Development: New Generation Messenger. Part 1
Hi Giktayms! Some time ago we decided to develop a new generation messenger that would be free from the flaws of existing IM and would have basically a completely different DNA.
And that's what we did.
Prehistory
If we look back at the evolution of modern instant messengers, we can distinguish two main categories from which they started:
1. Messengers that were originally created as chat rooms.
These messengers include WhatsApp, which initially had the main idea to replace SMS, Telegrams - it was announced as the safest chat and a lot of others, in which the main focus was on text messaging.
2. Messengers that were initially intended for calls.
These messengers include Skype, which in the first versions was generally an application for low-cost calls abroad, Viber, which was also a simple call, Tango, which specializes in video calls, etc.
In the process of evolution, messengers began to introduce functions that they did not initially have, like Skype, and then Viber, Tango had text messages, file sharing, etc., WhatsApp, in turn, audio calls first appeared then the video, the same thing in Telegram, etc.
Then came the turn of open APIs, bots, masks, geolocations, payments, statuses, public channels, etc.
That is, in the evolutionary process, messengers begin to become combines with a multitude of additional functionalities.
And here is interesting the fact that the more users the messenger has, the slower it introduces such additional functionality and the less new features it has.
For example, one of the most common instant messengers WhatsApp still does not have an open API, no bots.
It does not even have a built-in browser.
You can certainly say that they are large and they no longer have to strain, but most likely the reason is that it is very difficult to implement some kind of new functionality when you have millions of living users and need to change something in the structure.
It can even be said that such messengers are developed by means of crutches and supports, since initially, structurally, they were conceived with a completely different, more limited functionality.
Considering all this, when developing our messenger, we decided to immediately make a multifunctional instant messenger, laying the foundation for not only those functions that already exist in other IM, but also what may be in demand in the future and no one now has.
In other words, we made the structure of the messenger in such a way that you could add new features quickly and painlessly.
As a result, we have a whole IM ecosystem in which other services can live and which can also potentially cannibalize other similar services.
And here is one of the interesting possibilities that could potentially change the world of telecommunications.
Now there are two worlds, two ecosystems for communications - the first is instant messengers, who use the phone number as a login and are mainly used by private individuals and the second, so-called Business Telephony, is virtual PBX, PBX on Asterisk and other SIP compatible platforms.
But despite the fact that both instant messengers and business telephony use telephone numbers, in each case they are different entities.
The problem is that these two worlds do not overlap, although both do the same thing - they connect people.
Those. you cannot make a call, for example, from WhatsApp or Telegrams to a VOIP IP PBX user - although in either case IP telephony is used, telephone numbers and the same voice or video codecs are used.
To communicate, the messenger user must exit the messenger ecosystem and use either PSTN or GSM, i.e. make a toll call. Or make a paid call from the messenger (for example, Viber Out), which eventually will also pass through the old PSTN or GSM. A strange situation at a time when the user can and is already accustomed to calling friends and family for free.
Why it happens?
The answer is simple - the messengers are good enough for their audience and they do not want any integration with others. Already, the total audience of instant messengers is about 5 billion people. On the contrary, messengers are forced to use only them, there are no prerequisites for the unification of messengers. In other words, each messenger pulls a blanket over himself.
On the other hand, traditional VOIP telephony is in demand in business - suffice it to say that the volume of the VOIP market is estimated at 120 billion USD.
There is already a huge and deployed SIP telephony infrastructure in every business, tied to a geographical or non-geographical (number 8-800) numbering.
Why, in our opinion, is there a need to get away from the old connection based on geographical numbering? What is the problem of numbering? There are several:
1. This is an exhaustive resource, the number of numbers allocated to each country is limited.
2. This is a regulated resource - it is issued only by state authorized organizations, and each state has its own rules.
3. Since geo-referenced numbers to a particular country, city, etc., you need to pay money to call these numbers.
That looks very strange - because everyone is already accustomed to using instant messengers and not paying for conversations at all.
On the other hand, the business seems to be interested in the convenience and free of charge for an individual as his client, but the only thing they can do and do is buy DID numbers for each region or city.
Accordingly, there are a lot of companies that sell these DIDs (SIP numbers).
Those. Imagine - companies that do not own numbering, rent other companies, for money, city numbers, so that other users (private and legal entities) pay money to other companies (supersos or local communication operators) to call these numbers.
There is some kind of wrong situation in the world (to pay money for a call) compared with the fact that you can spend hours talking to each other on the messenger for free ...
What is offered?
In our instant messenger, under the created login, you can connect an unlimited number of VOIP lines and bring them onto existing PBX trunks already purchased by the business and process them according to the established algorithm.
That is, the already existing infrastructure is activated in the business - it turns out a very easy integration of new opportunities, using the equipment already purchased (IP PBX, IP phones, etc.) with the messenger ecosystem.
Why non-digital login?
Because the business needs not a set of numbers, but easy memorization of a contact - it’s not by chance that letters appear everywhere next to numbers and such numbers are still used today:
1-800-COCA-COLA, etc.
This can be compared with the fact that now they do not use IP addresses in sites, such as 151.101.192.81, but instead use domain names like bbc.com, etc.
No one would ever think of writing http: // 151.101.192.81 in the Brazilian string, instead of just typing bbc.com , right?
So why are the numbers still used for calls? Imagine that it will be possible from anywhere in the world, free of charge, to contact your bank, office and generally call any company, any employee absolutely free. At the same time, it is not necessary to search and memorize any numbers - the search is just done inside the messenger with the name of the company and everything can be communicated.
(end of the first part)
Part 2 , Part 3
PS A simpler explanation - imagine that with WhatsApp you can call any company and do not need to install anything at this company, no software and no new hardware - the calls are received by ALREADY the existing PBX.
And that's what we did.
Prehistory
If we look back at the evolution of modern instant messengers, we can distinguish two main categories from which they started:
1. Messengers that were originally created as chat rooms.
These messengers include WhatsApp, which initially had the main idea to replace SMS, Telegrams - it was announced as the safest chat and a lot of others, in which the main focus was on text messaging.
2. Messengers that were initially intended for calls.
These messengers include Skype, which in the first versions was generally an application for low-cost calls abroad, Viber, which was also a simple call, Tango, which specializes in video calls, etc.
In the process of evolution, messengers began to introduce functions that they did not initially have, like Skype, and then Viber, Tango had text messages, file sharing, etc., WhatsApp, in turn, audio calls first appeared then the video, the same thing in Telegram, etc.
Then came the turn of open APIs, bots, masks, geolocations, payments, statuses, public channels, etc.
That is, in the evolutionary process, messengers begin to become combines with a multitude of additional functionalities.
And here is interesting the fact that the more users the messenger has, the slower it introduces such additional functionality and the less new features it has.
For example, one of the most common instant messengers WhatsApp still does not have an open API, no bots.
It does not even have a built-in browser.
You can certainly say that they are large and they no longer have to strain, but most likely the reason is that it is very difficult to implement some kind of new functionality when you have millions of living users and need to change something in the structure.
It can even be said that such messengers are developed by means of crutches and supports, since initially, structurally, they were conceived with a completely different, more limited functionality.
Considering all this, when developing our messenger, we decided to immediately make a multifunctional instant messenger, laying the foundation for not only those functions that already exist in other IM, but also what may be in demand in the future and no one now has.
In other words, we made the structure of the messenger in such a way that you could add new features quickly and painlessly.
As a result, we have a whole IM ecosystem in which other services can live and which can also potentially cannibalize other similar services.
And here is one of the interesting possibilities that could potentially change the world of telecommunications.
Now there are two worlds, two ecosystems for communications - the first is instant messengers, who use the phone number as a login and are mainly used by private individuals and the second, so-called Business Telephony, is virtual PBX, PBX on Asterisk and other SIP compatible platforms.
But despite the fact that both instant messengers and business telephony use telephone numbers, in each case they are different entities.
The problem is that these two worlds do not overlap, although both do the same thing - they connect people.
Those. you cannot make a call, for example, from WhatsApp or Telegrams to a VOIP IP PBX user - although in either case IP telephony is used, telephone numbers and the same voice or video codecs are used.
To communicate, the messenger user must exit the messenger ecosystem and use either PSTN or GSM, i.e. make a toll call. Or make a paid call from the messenger (for example, Viber Out), which eventually will also pass through the old PSTN or GSM. A strange situation at a time when the user can and is already accustomed to calling friends and family for free.
Why it happens?
The answer is simple - the messengers are good enough for their audience and they do not want any integration with others. Already, the total audience of instant messengers is about 5 billion people. On the contrary, messengers are forced to use only them, there are no prerequisites for the unification of messengers. In other words, each messenger pulls a blanket over himself.
On the other hand, traditional VOIP telephony is in demand in business - suffice it to say that the volume of the VOIP market is estimated at 120 billion USD.
There is already a huge and deployed SIP telephony infrastructure in every business, tied to a geographical or non-geographical (number 8-800) numbering.
Why, in our opinion, is there a need to get away from the old connection based on geographical numbering? What is the problem of numbering? There are several:
1. This is an exhaustive resource, the number of numbers allocated to each country is limited.
2. This is a regulated resource - it is issued only by state authorized organizations, and each state has its own rules.
3. Since geo-referenced numbers to a particular country, city, etc., you need to pay money to call these numbers.
That looks very strange - because everyone is already accustomed to using instant messengers and not paying for conversations at all.
On the other hand, the business seems to be interested in the convenience and free of charge for an individual as his client, but the only thing they can do and do is buy DID numbers for each region or city.
Accordingly, there are a lot of companies that sell these DIDs (SIP numbers).
Those. Imagine - companies that do not own numbering, rent other companies, for money, city numbers, so that other users (private and legal entities) pay money to other companies (supersos or local communication operators) to call these numbers.
There is some kind of wrong situation in the world (to pay money for a call) compared with the fact that you can spend hours talking to each other on the messenger for free ...
What is offered?
In our instant messenger, under the created login, you can connect an unlimited number of VOIP lines and bring them onto existing PBX trunks already purchased by the business and process them according to the established algorithm.
That is, the already existing infrastructure is activated in the business - it turns out a very easy integration of new opportunities, using the equipment already purchased (IP PBX, IP phones, etc.) with the messenger ecosystem.
Why non-digital login?
Because the business needs not a set of numbers, but easy memorization of a contact - it’s not by chance that letters appear everywhere next to numbers and such numbers are still used today:
1-800-COCA-COLA, etc.
This can be compared with the fact that now they do not use IP addresses in sites, such as 151.101.192.81, but instead use domain names like bbc.com, etc.
No one would ever think of writing http: // 151.101.192.81 in the Brazilian string, instead of just typing bbc.com , right?
So why are the numbers still used for calls? Imagine that it will be possible from anywhere in the world, free of charge, to contact your bank, office and generally call any company, any employee absolutely free. At the same time, it is not necessary to search and memorize any numbers - the search is just done inside the messenger with the name of the company and everything can be communicated.
(end of the first part)
Part 2 , Part 3
PS A simpler explanation - imagine that with WhatsApp you can call any company and do not need to install anything at this company, no software and no new hardware - the calls are received by ALREADY the existing PBX.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/410637/