Chromecast To Bring New Devices and Apps in 2014

Google took its chances with Chromecast this year, introducing a new device that proved to be quite popular. Apparently, next year, the big search-engine company is planning to make Chromecast even more popular by unveiling it to a number of international markets, opening up the SDK to make hundreds of apps compatible with Chromecast. In the same time, the tech giant is planning to bring cast functionality to other devices by signing contracts with consumer electronics companies.

The main purpose is to make Chromecast widely available around the globe while reaching a different type of marketplaces. This fast move into other countries is powered by Google’s desire to encourage local companies and publishers to make their apps Chromecast-compatible, therefore, to populate the device with a high number of useful applications.

Chromecast was launched with a limited support for a limited number of streaming devices, and, despite the fact that the company has added ten more services to its portfolio, this does not seem enough. Google wants more apps, but, in this respect, app developers must have access to the device. For this, Google will introduce the Cast SDK, providing developers with the API and tools they need in order to add support for Chromecast in their own apps.

Initially, Chromecast users were able to access media content from Netflix, as well as Google’s own YouTube service and Google Play. Since this was not enough for worldwide users, the company added support for Hulu Plus, Pandora, and HBO Go. Earlier this week, Google decided to introduce also the popular media center app Plex, music service Songza and RealNetwork’s new cloud player.

In the same time, the company plans to build an ecosystem around casting. This means that as more apps become available within the Chromecast service, customers will feel more attractive to it. However, Google’s goal was to turn Chromecast into an ecosystem in order to developer a reliable connection with consumer electronics manufacturer and bring the service to other devices.

After its first launch back in July, Chromecast has soon become the number one selling electronics device on Amazon, outselling the retailer’s own service Kindle Fire tablets. Now, even Wal-Mart has been listing Chromecast as the Best Seller and its configuration app has been downloaded between one and five million times from the Play Store. All these details only confirm that Google’s Chromecast has definitely managed to gather the consumer’s attention and most likely is that in 2014, with all those rumored changes and improvements, the service will gather even more followers.