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GOOGLE的INBOX承諾以更加動態而且可行動的內容重新打造電子郵件

J. Angelo Racoma — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 03:12:25 +0000

Google(那斯達克交易代號：GOOG)推出Inbox這項最新的行動成品，有望將電子郵件變成更具生產力的工具。Google執行僅限邀請函的計畫，旨在複製最初推出Gmail時採用的行銷方案，這招當時想必為這項罕見的產品帶來熱烈的需求。雖說Inbox已經在特定的行動應用程式中展示部分功能(例如Dropbox的Mailbox)，但Inbox究竟能不能展現與宣傳相符的效果，並且提升電子郵件通訊呢？

當Google在2004年對外公開Gmail服務時，公司矢言將重新改造網際網路使用者傳送電子郵件的方式。Gmail不採用電子郵件使用者習慣的單一訊息檢視，而是預設採用階層式/交談檢視。雖說當時只是僅限邀請的測試計畫，這麼做還是導致部分使用者必須進一步學習，並且創造出假設的需求，同時也讓使用者設法探索Gmail，好滿足科技愛好者的驕傲與成就感。

Gmail從此成為頭號網路郵件提供者，同時Google也透過Google應用程式，將其用途拓展到企業通訊及合作工具。Gmail不僅重新整頓電子郵件的介面，事實上還花了好幾年時間進行發展，並且保留「測試」徽章，這表示產品擁有者依然積極進行研發。那些起初能選擇加入Google研究室(Google Lab)選項的功能，之後成為基本功能，其中包括整合式即時通訊、簡訊、排程等等。現在Gmail已發展成完備的生產力平台，不僅結合行事曆、聯絡人，甚至將部分功能延伸至更新的行動服務，例如Google Voice和Hangouts。

更新電子郵件

Google打算運用Inbox來提升行動版使用體驗。推出這項更新的同時，公司也認為隨著社交媒體發展並連結所有事務，電子郵件和行動使用者會遭到一堆訊息轟炸，可能很難從沒用的訊息中過濾出有用的部分。「這場變革也帶來新的挑戰：現在我們收到的電子郵件數量可說是前所未有，導致重要的資訊被埋在一堆訊息裡，而且最重要的工作可能會成了漏網之魚，尤其是在我們使用手機的時候更會出現這種情況。」Android、Chrome暨應用程式部門資深副總裁Sundar Pichai寫到這點：「對我們很多人來說，應付電子郵件已經變成日常瑣事，讓我們無法專心處理確實該做的事，而不是幫我們完成那些事」。

「我們決定『我們何不釐清思緒、重新開始、打造新的產品，來幫使用者回頭關注重要的事呢？』」，Gmail產品主管Alex Gawley在接受紐約時報(New York Times)訪問時提到：「我們何不幫使用者分擔更多工作？」

於是兩年的發展時期就此展開，並且將目標擺在長期取代Gmail。開發人員打造出與社群網路動態消息類似的Inbox介面，也就是在訊息中集合相關內容，像是圖片、引用和其他動態資訊。Google Inbox也具備會讓人聯想到Google Now的資訊卡片功能，能夠顯示班機資訊、提醒、包裹追蹤、相片等等。

使用者能在包括Android和iOS在內的行動裝置上操作Inbox，也能在Chrome桌面版使用。為了在最新的Android 5.0 Lollipop版本中反映出Google重點發展的最新使用者介面(UI)功能，Inbox採用Material Design設計語言，這表示可呈現鮮明的導覽列色彩、流暢的動畫，以及乾淨俐落的複本。但是讓Inbox脫穎而出的因素，是這項產品實際上就是Google Now版本的電子郵件收件匣，連同以內容為主的建議和卡片隱喻來完善功能。

依然是Gmail

也許有人會質疑這不過是複製第三方應用程式開發商(例如被Dropbox收購的Mailbox)幾年來的成果。畢竟Mailbox早就把電子郵件視為「工作」和可行動的項目，可供使用者延遲、重新排程，並且標示為「完成」。但是主要的差異在於Inbox是公司內部完成的作品，因此內部能夠直接存取使用者的Gmail資料，而不必仰賴在同步和速度方面不甚完善的網際網路訊息存取通訊協定(IMAP)。

這表示Inbox基本上就是要用來取代Gmail的用戶端，而且還納入其他Google應用程式的功能。但使用者如有需要，還是能用原始的Gmail介面。然而Inbox的功能不只限於電子郵件用戶端。運用Gmail的資料探勘能力和中繼網路內容，就能根據電子郵件內容找出相關資訊。舉例來說，和預定航班有關的電子郵件就會隨附包含班機資訊和最新消息的卡片，這也適用於飯店預定和其他預定的電子郵件。

Inbox也加入Gmail用來區分優先電子郵件、社群媒體最新消息、論壇快訊和其他最新消息的分類功能。視使用者的設定而定，Inbox具備的「套件」(Bundles)功能，能自動整理像是收據這樣的內容。

而且當使用者遇到必須延遲訊息中所述行動的情況時，就可以使用「延遲」功能，系統之後會再次提醒使用者採取行動，這在出門在外時相當實用。

如何取得

Google想讓使用者先在行動裝置體驗Inbox，所以使用者必須下載Android或iOS應用程式，才能啟用Gmail帳戶以使用Inbox。但目前只有透過邀請函才能使用這項服務。Google會主動寄邀請函給使用者，使用者也能透過inbox@google.com索取邀請函。接著可存取Inbox的使用者就能邀請朋友各自啟用Inbox—這正是Gmail當初發展的方式。

承諾提供嶄新的介面，並且鎖定病毒式宣傳的行銷計畫，顯然就是再度採用2004年的招數了。

The post GOOGLE的INBOX承諾以更加動態而且可行動的內容重新打造電子郵件 appeared first on VR World.

Google's Inbox Promises to Reinvent Email With Dynamic, Actionable Content

J. Angelo Racoma — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 03:53:46 +0000

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) has launched its latest mobile effort, Inbox, which promises to turn email into a better productivity tool. Being on a limited invitation-only scheme, Google is set to duplicate its earlier marketing scheme when Gmail originally launched, creating much demand for a supposedly scarce product. With some of Inbox’s features already present in certain mobile apps like Dropbox’s Mailbox, however, will Inbox live up to the hype and change email communication for the better?

When Google launched its Gmail service to the public in 2004, the company promised to reinvent how Internet users emailed. Instead of the usual one-message view that email users have grown accustomed to, Gmail defaulted to a threaded/conversation view. This resulted in a learning curve for some, although with its invitation-only beta scheme, artificial demand had been created, and users sought Gmail as an object of geek pride and accomplishment.

Gmail has since grown to be the top web mail provider, and Google has also extended its use as an enterprise communications and collaboration tool through Google Apps. Going beyond the refresh in email interfaces, Gmail was actually a work-in-progress for several years, retaining the “beta” badge that meant its owner was still actively doing development. Features that started out as opt-in Google Labs options were later on added as basic functionalities. These included integrated instant messaging, text messaging, scheduling and the like. Gmail has now grown to become a full-fledged productivity platform, incorporating Calendar, Contacts, and even spinning out some features into refreshed mobile services like Google Voice and Hangouts.

Email – refreshed

With Inbox, Google aims to improve on the mobile experience. The refresh came about with the idea that with the rise of social media and connected-everything, email and mobile users are bombarded with a lot of messages and may have difficulty filtering out the good ones from the useless ones. “With this evolution comes new challenges: we get more email now than ever, important information is buried inside messages, and our most important tasks can slip through the cracks—especially when we’re working on our phones,” writes Sundar Pichai, Senior Vice President for Android, Chrome and Apps. “For many of us, dealing with email has become a daily chore that distracts from what we really need to do—rather than helping us get those things done.”

“We decided, ‘What if we cleared our minds, started fresh, and built something new to help people get back to what mattered to them?’” said Gmail product director Alex Gawley, in an interview with the New York Times. “What if we did more of the work for them?”

The result is a two-year development period for what is intended as a long-term replacement for Gmail. The developers have built Inbox’s interface to resemble a social network news feed, in which relevant content from messages like pictures, quotes and other dynamic information. Google Inbox also features cards reminiscent of Google Now, which display flight information, reminders, package tracking, photos, and the like.

Inbox works on mobile devices (Android and iOS included), as well as Chrome for desktop use. To reflect the latest UI focus of Google in the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop, Inbox subscribes to Material Design, which means aggressive navigation bar colors, smooth animations and crisp copy. What makes Inbox stand out, however, is that it is essentially a Google Now version of one’s email inbox, complete with context-based recommendations and card metaphors.

It’s still Gmail

One might ask whether this is not just a duplication of efforts that third-party app developers like Mailbox (acquired by Dropbox) have done over the years. After all, Mailbox already treats emails as “tasks” and actionable items that users can snooze, reschedule and mark as “done”. The main difference, however, is that Inbox is an effort done in-house, so it has direct access to users’ Gmail data, instead of having to rely on IMAP, with all its synchronization and speed issues.

This means that Inbox is essentially a client meant to replace Gmail, incorporating features from other Google applications. However, users can still use the original Gmail interface if so needed. Still, Inbox goes beyond simply acting as an email client. Using Gmail’s data mining capabilities and meta web content, it will pull relevant information based on email content. For example, emails regarding your flight reservation will come complete with a card with flight information and updates. The same goes for emails with hotel bookings and other reservations.

Inbox also adds to the categorization feature that Gmail uses to group priority email, social media updates, forum alerts and other updates. With the “bundles” feature, Inbox can automatically organize content like receipts, depending on how the user trains it.

And when the situation calls for a user to simply delay action on a message, there’s the “snooze” function, which will alert the user for action later on — useful while on-the-go.

How to get it

Google wants Inbox to be a mobile-first experience, so users will need to download the Android or iOS apps in order to activate their Gmail account for Inbox use. However, the service is currently by-invite only. Google will be sending out invitations to users, and requests can be sent via inbox@google.com. Users who have Inbox can then invite friends to activate their own — exactly how Gmail started out.

With the promise of a fresh new interface and with a marketing plan with viral focus, it’s 2004 all over again.

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