Google unveiled its newest messaging service iteration at the I/O conference today, aptly named Google Cloud Messaging. While it’s obviously geared for app developers, users also will see significant performance improvements as the new standard is adopted. Here’s what’s in store.
GCM is the next version of Google’s existing messaging system, Android Cloud to Device Messaging. As such, GCM retains a lot of the core functionality of C2DM. However, by tweaking the way that the app communicates with its server — either notifying the user that it needs to pull data, or pushing it directly to the app if the payload is under 4KB — the new system expected to sip power more efficiently.
Also, GCM supports a larger number of APIs, so users can expect their old apps to learn some new tricks. For instance, GCM has the added capability of multicast messaging, which allows the app to push data to multiple devices simultaneously. Data will sync among devices more seamlessly and devs will be able to push live updates to multiple users more easily. So, next year’s MLB at Bat should push score updates to more users faster, with less strain on the battery. It’s a win-win.