As some of you might have heard, both Google and Apple had teamed up not too long ago to develop the Exposure Notification API. This API would allow developers to create contact tracing apps to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. This was actually a surprise announcement as both companies are typically seen as each other’s rivals.That being said, the collaboration between both companies must have been a pretty good one because during an interview with WIRED, Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai seemed rather open to the idea of collaborating with Apple again on future projects. When Pichai was asked whether or not this was a one-off collaboration, the CEO replied by saying, “Large companies working together in service of society is really good for the world. I am committed to finding other opportunities, and I had the same sense from Tim on this.”
Like we said, Apple and Google’s recent collaboration came as a bit of a surprise. While both companies have developed apps for use on the other’s platform, it felt like it was mostly done out of a necessity.
Pichai also shared how the who process started. “Both teams independently had started working on technology to support health agencies in their contact tracing work. Very quickly both sides realized that for this to work well it has to be available everywhere. So engineering teams across Android and iOS organically started reaching out. At some point, Tim and I decided to exchange notes and talk directly.”