Social network giant Facebook is reportedly testing its own digital assistant dubbed Moneypenny. The service, once development is done, will be integrated into the Messenger app.
Facebook's digital assistant is named after a "James Bond" movie character, Miss Moneypenny, who works as a secretary to Bond's boss.
Unlike virtual assistants like Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana, Facebook's Moneypenny is aimed to connect its users to real people in order to help them with finding the products or services they need over the internet, according to The Information. The report added that the service is currently in testing phase and is currently used by Facebook employees.
Many tech analysts compare Moneypenny closer to a traditional concierge service than the ubiquitous digital assistant like Google Now, Siri and Cortana which is present in almost every smartphone device nowadays.
A similar service to Moneypenny called Magic is currently operational and allow its users to be connected to trained operators via text message to help them purchase almost anything on the Internet ranging from ordering a takeout or booking a flight, according to The Verge.
A Magic clone called GoButler offer similar services with to international location including the United Kingdom, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, among others.
The Messenger app has over 700 million monthly users and this massive user base can be offer a profitable medium for service provider and retailers all over the globe. Recently, Facebook integrated various features to the Messenger app including money transfer and video chat.
Facebook has yet to release an official date on the launch of Moneypenny.