Apple reveals Business Chat, a new customer support messaging platform to allow businesses to connect via Messages
Closing their week long annual World Wide Developers Conference at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose on Friday, Apple unveiled Business Chat, a new customer support messaging platform available with the launch of iOS 11 that allows businesses to provide customer support over Messages.
In partnership with existing Customer Service Platforms (CSP) from Genesys, LivePerson, Nuance and Salesforce, businesses who opt into the service will see a Messages icon on Siri, Maps, Safari and Spotlight search results within iOS 11 that will bring up a chat sheet (as shown above) that allows customers to send messages and images directly to the chosen business.
As well as messaging, enrolled businesses can also build their own custom response app extensions for use with Business Chat. As demonstrated by Apple, an airline can build a seat selector, presenting a user interface the user can interact with to return their choice.
Apple is now allowing developers and businesses to test and create integrations with Business Chat.
Apple Business Chat with Apple Pay Cash is the most important iOS announcement since the release of Siri. It is a stunning new paradigm. pic.twitter.com/zBRWL0cDlY
— Brian Roemmele (@BrianRoemmele) June 9, 2017