Flock announces the release of its platform, FlockOS – a chat operating system. Developers can now build customized apps, bots and integrations on Flock, and either use them within their organization, or publish it on Flock’s App Store, making them available for all Flock users.
FlockOS allows developers to build apps that
● Provide a tightly integrated experience by using widgets. These include the attachment widget, sidebar widget, and modal widget – all capable of displaying rich HTML.
● Send messages and rich attachments to Flock users and groups. For example, the Poll app in Flock creates an opinion poll in a rich attachment format and immediately broadcasts it to all in a group. It also shows real time updates on the poll numbers.
● Add buttons to attachments, chat tab bar, attachment picker bar or app launcher bar. The meticulously designed app-specific buttons embedded in the interface ensure higher app discoverability, and in turn, boost app usage.
● Setup slash commands providing an additional option for users to interact with the app.
● Configure a Bot to send directed messages to users, carry on conversations and completing tasks from within Flock.
● Customize URL previews for specific URLs, so the app can display information relevant for the user.
● Deliver a consistent experience across platforms including web, desktop, and mobile without having to rework a single line of code.
“Messaging and collaboration platforms have become the systems by which teams become more productive. Currently, most of our activities are collaborative in nature, and increasingly there will be the need of simple apps that are built on top of the messaging framework. Chat will soon become the next operating system, probably within the next three to five years.” said Bhavin Turakhia, CEO and founder of Flock. “FlockOS empowers teams to create custom experiences within Flock that is designed for their unique team needs.”
Apps and integrations are considered “first-class citizens” in the FlockOS ecosystem. Flock aims to provide users with a seamless experience with all integrations. The Flock UI, built from the ground-up with simplicity, usability, and apps in mind, ensures maximum app discoverability to boost utilization. Users can expect massive productivity gains with the expansion of Flock’s app network.
Developers can currently build custom apps on FlockOS using Java and node.js SDKs with additional SDKs (Python, Ruby, etc.) to roll out soon.
[Source:-Tech Rader]
