Kik App — No Pun Intended

Kik has become one of the leading companies in instant messaging, with over 6 million users worldwide. Along the way, the company faced a few legal problems over patent infringement with Research In Motion (RIM, makers of BlackBerry), but that hasn’t stopped the firm from continuing to grow. And now they’ve seen a new business venture on the horizon. Not only do they want users to be able to connect via their application, they also want to make a content-sharing application that will allow users to share documents with one another.

Kik to Start

The new API is designed to help users share content from one app to the same app on another device. With this API, there will be no need to utilize Facebook, Twitter, or emails to send links to open webpages. Users will be enabled to send each other restaurant reviews, drawings, and even gameplay levels. In order to do this, both users need to have Kik installed. If, however, a user doesn’t have the application, they will get a message prompting them to download it. How thoughtful.

Kik is also implementing an option called Apps That Kik in Kik Messenger, another thoughtful way to introduce you to other apps that are enabled by Kik. The new version of Kik Messenger became available on the 22nd of December and is currently compatible with Android and iOS devices. Kik is also working on having the API on FileKicker, DrinkOwl, Smiler, Zwonks, and FlyScreen.

Kik helps sort out one of the limitations of apps, which has to with the inability to maintain a proper linking structure, like the one available online. RSS developer, Mr. Dave Winer has said that if an infrastructure could be made that enables apps to exchange content, then it will help tackle those problems. For obvious reasons, not all publishers and app developers want people to be able to share content with such ease. Kik API, however, is a great option for users that do.

Kiks brave move has also helped highlight just how the face of group messaging is changing. Competitors like Beluga and GroupMe have been bought out. Some newer startups such as Fast Society have moved on, while the big boys, Google and Apple, have joined in. But these days, the ones to keep an eye on are the independents, like Kik and textPlus, which have developed a new calling application that works with Wi-Fi. If the Internet and the rise of the app market has made anything clear is that all you really need these days is a good idea, some ingenuity, and yes, resources, but even that is changing, as the scope of how we do business is ever-evolving.

Kik Messenger can be downloaded at the App Store for free.