People Sense is an attempt from Microsoft to expand its ecosystem

Microsoft is developing a new application called People Sense that aims to compete against Apple‘s Find my Friends application, likely to hit devices later this year, maybe alongside Windows 10 when it is launched. Currently, the app is being called Buddy Aware, which is a rather childish name in my opinion, but according to Microsoft Place, the Redmond giant will eventually call their new app People Sense. Like Apple’s Find my Friends app, People Sense will be able to share your location and retrieve information about your friends’ location, with their permission of course. If you’re the kind of person that likes to track your friends down and maybe organize some surprise parties, People Sense might be an interesting app that you will most likely download in the future.

At the moment, Microsoft is still the development stage with People Sense, but Microsoft Place managed to obtain a video review/teaser of the app which you can check out below. People Sense will let you share real-time information about your location with your contacts, and provide neat integration features with third-party communication applications. Most likely, Microsoft will integrate messaging and conferencing services into People Sense so that you can directly make contact with your friends through the application. We don’t know which apps will be featured within the new service, but we’re hoping Hangouts, WhatsApp, Skype, Tinder, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat and others will be featured.

According to the teaser video, People Sense will come with integrated messaging and calling services so that you can easily track down your friends on the map and communicate with them the moment you’ve pinpointed their location. Even though I’m not a fan of these apps, I can see the benefits Microsoft is proposing. With People Sense, I for one could avoid getting lost on my way to a girls’ night out in an obscure club I haven’t heard of. Also, I could stalk my fashion rivals and find out where they’re getting those sweet deals on Gucci dresses and sunglasses. Not that I would, but I could. Moreover, socialites could rejoice in knowing that their friends can follow them wherever they go. Excuse my skepticism, I just don’t like being tracked by friends or otherwise.

Anyhow, People Sense is in the works and comes as an attempt from Microsoft to extend their application suite and tap into markets they haven’t entered yet. As the company grows more and more each day and Windows 10 is right around the corner, it seems it is trying to offer comprehensive services on the software front so that people can feel the true value of being part of an ecosystem. Apple is doing it, Google is doing it, so why shouldn’t Microsoft give it a go? Since People Sense is still in development, we are expecting to see more feature pop up once it ends up in the store. So far, it features basic functions like navigation, integration with places, location services, messaging and calling services and that’s about it. Nonetheless, we have high expectation from Microsoft these days and it seems the company is trying hard to live up them.

As I’ve said earlier, People Sense is still in development, as you can probably tell by beta build demonstrated in the video. We’ve no accurate information on when the app will be available for download, but we have a hunch that it might show up at the Mobile World Congress next month. Microsoft will be a big presence at the MWC, and if People Sense is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what they are going to offer software-wise, our excitement is warranted. We’re curious about what kind of features will be added to the application and are looking forward to testing it out and tell you more about it. Even though I’m not particularly fond of such apps, I’m going to compromise and work towards getting an insider view and review of People Sense so that we can demonstrate it to our readers in the future. Check back to Tech Gadget Central to see more info about innovative apps and new ecosystems on the rise! Sound off in the comments below and tell us what you think about People Sense and Find my Friends and if you are using them.