Microsoft went all out earlier this year saying that it is betting big on bots. Satya Nadella who believes that apps will replace bots recently revealed that 45000 developers are using the Microsoft Framework.
It should be noted that using the Microsoft Bot Framework is not limited to Skype, bots can be created for Facebook Messenger, and also other chatting platforms. According to VentureBeat, 34000 developers are building bots on Facebook Messenger. The reportfurther adds that Messenger VP David Marcus had
used the same figure two weeks ago when discussing the number of developers using Messenger.
Interestingly, both Microsoft and Facebook had unveiled their bot building platforms in April, and by July both platforms boasted of roughly 20,000 developers. Looks like, Microsoft has got the edge and taken the lead if the new numbers are to be believed.
At Microsoft Ignite held in Atlanta, Nadella said that it is the openness, which is the key characteristic of its platform. “Pretty much everyone today who is building applications, whether they be mobile apps or desktop apps or websites, will build bots as the new interface,” he had reportedly said earlier in July.
While Microsoft may have paced past Facebook, its Google that is leading with 60,000 developers working on its bot building platform API.ai. However, these are mere numbers, and doesn’t really decide who would win the race when it comes to wooing audiences with attractive features. For instance, Facebook is now the first to introduce payments within bots.