The team at Facebook’s Messenger Platform has been working tirelessly to make the experience better for their users, since the release of Messenger Platform 2.0 in April.
They are now ready to launch Messenger Platform 2.1. This version will have improved features which will give businesses new ways to connect to their customers.
What’s New?
They have taken first step to bring NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) capabilities to all the developers which will in turn help different brands to tune their experience of using messenger. This new version will have built-in NLP which will enhance automated conversations with bots.
With NLP enabled, it will automatically discern the meaning or information from a given text before forwarding it to a bot. This version can detect words like hello, bye, thanks, date & time, location, amount of money, phone number, email and a URL.
Another interesting feature is the Handover Protocol. This protocol helps in flawless transference between an automated bot and a human being. This means that the customers will get a quick reply to the most commonly asked questions by the bot which will then switch over to customer representatives for more detailed questions.
This protocol is now available in version 2.1 all over the world. Sephora will be the first to implement this protocol by incorporating features Assist and Sprinklr too.
Additional Features
Another useful feature which is still in beta phase is that the customers will now be able to pay through Messenger. The whole process can be completed in just one step streamlining the payment process.
The new SDK will make Messenger webview payments quick and easy. This feature is currently available in USA only.
Moreover, they introduced 5 new Call to Action (CTA) options like send message. These options are Shop Now, Get Support, Get Updates, Play Now and Get Started. Â This will make the communication between the customers and businesses easier and they would know what to expect when they start conversation.
The team has also decided to also introduce desktop support for features like user ID and sharing. This will make the experience consistent over mobile and desktop. This further helps developers while testing for bugs and the with implementation of webview and other chat extensions.
Last But Not Least
Another interesting addition by the Messenger team is  added extensions for Global pages. It now allows people in different regions to use Global pages in a single thread which was not possible previously.
These are some of the major features in Messenger Platform 2.1 which aims at making the experience of different businesses using Messenger Platform more pleasant and efficient.
Although the improvements and new features are business focused, they will ultimately improve the online experience of all stakeholders.
