Heena Sharma Blog

  Verizon Communications will make Google's Messages the default messaging app on all Android devices it sells starting next year, the U.S. wireless carrier said on Tuesday. With that move, Verizon would join peers AT&T Inc and T-Mobile US Inc in propping up competition to Apple Inc's iMessage service. Alphabet Inc-owned Google's Messages comes with features similar to those in iMessage, using Rich Communication Services (RCS) technology to replace SMS-based texts. Apple's iMessage is limited to users who use the company's devices, and the iPhone maker has not yet indicated any plans to extend the feature to Android users. With RCS, users can send and receive high-quality photos and videos, chat over WiFi or cellular data and know when messages were read, among other features. Read More

Verizon Communications Inc said on Monday it would sell its blogging website Tumblr to Automattic Inc, the owner of popular online-publishing tool WordPress.com. The company did not disclose the terms of the deal. Verizon Media Group, formerly called Oath, is the digital media umbrella that owns more than 50 brands, including HuffPost, TechCrunch and Tumblr. Tumblr was acquired by Yahoo for more than $1 billion in 2013 and Verizon acquired it as part of its deal for Yahoo in 2015. Article Source -> Business Standard