Google has confirmed the acquisition of an app streaming startup named Agawi which allows people to access apps on their smartphone without downloading them first.
It is believed that the company had been acquired last year but Google has confirmed it now, as reports hit the web. Agawi has developed technology to use and stream mobile applications over web without downloading them first.
Agawi is an acronymous for “any game, anywhere, instantly”. A report from The Information, stated that Google purchased the company to allows users to try apps without buying them first, which seems pretty obvious now,
The company was founded by Rajat Gupta, Peter Relan and Rohan Relan in 2010. Earlier, the company was known as iSwifter. It was focused on low-latency streaming of apps from the cloud to mobile devices.
Google is likely to integrate Agawi’s technology into its mobile advertising business and into Google Play so that users can try out or preview apps without installing them. This could be in the form of in-app ads or just a preview feature on app listing pages, letting users see if they want to actually buy or download it.
The downside to streaming app is that not everyone has a good internet connection suitable for streaming. But then, Google is trying to solve connectivity issues with its various projects like Project Loon and Google Fiber, and integrating Agawi’s tech into these projects could make this combination an invaluable asset for Google.
Before the confirmation about its acquisition, there were several clues which hinted of Agawi’s acquisition. The company’s Twitter account was inactive since 2013 and its website was dead. There are three former Agawi employees who are now listed as working at Google on LinkedIn, including company’s co-founder Rohan Relan.
Google’s move to buy Agawi is being described as part of company’s efforts to get people back to using the web, and away from downloading apps in order to enjoy content. This could be true as Google makes majority of its revenues from web searches and ads that run against them.
