
With the thrilling debut of the new Wechat Hardware Framework on the 2020 WeChat Public Lecture, we received many inquiries for additional information to this new opportunity to expand the WeChat ecosystem. According to the WeChat announcement, WeChat Hardware Framework is still a demo feature that is not available to the general public. However, this does not stop us from reading between the lines of the presentation and taking one step further to imagine some of the applicable cases for this new feature.
The WeChat Hardware Framework is an operating environment that allows hardware to run WeChat Mini-program(MP) in an environment without the WeChat APP on other terminals and hardware devices. At present, hardware devices that support Android systems can support this WeChat Hardware Framework.
WeChat is always the pioneer to create new needs for its users. When BATB started to build their own Mini program to catch up with this WeChat innovation. However, WeChat is taking one leap further again by expanding the hosting device for Mini-program from smartphone to all Android devices. With more hardware devices, we can foresee the ambition of WeChat to revolutionise the traditional application format.
It is worth mentioning that although the Hardware Framework currently only supports the Android platform, the WeChat team has taken into consideration to run the WeChat Hardware Framework on other desktop platforms such as Windows and Linux when working on the architecture design in the future. There are limited amounts of smart devices to access the internet in the past. Now we can see the Hardware Framework as an ambitious expansion to turn WeChat mini-program to an omnichannel tool. Android devices are becoming the new terminal of WeChat Mini-program, and more operating systems will be.
Tencent will open up the technical capabilities of WeChat Hardware Framework as a general application development feature. As a result, developers can enjoy convenience while expanding the service scope outside of the WeChat mobile App. These are one of the core values when comparing WeChat Hardware Framework with other cross-platform application development solutions. The cross-platform consideration brings more possibilities for current WeChat MP developers to tap into the massive users in the WeChat eco-system, from online to offline, from small screens to large screens, from people-to-things and end-to-end solutions.
Running WeChat Mini-program on WeChat Hardware Framework will provide similar functionality as the WeChat Mini-program on mobile APP. Below is a list of interesting features of WeChat Hardware Framework that provide future opportunity. The full list of BETA features is summarised in the official document.
The WeChat Hardware Framework can be applied to any hardware interface with the Android systems, such as tablet computers and large screen devices in various industries. This ultimately provides a low-cost touchscreen interactive solution. Accessible devices include, but are not limited to the following:
Shopping mall directory
Meeting room booking
At present, although it is possible to register online or make reservations for medical visit on-site on the touchscreen in a hospital, the hardware facilities and built-in systems provided by major medical institutions are developed by different providers. This introduces troubles with data synchronizations for an individual patient from different hardware devices for electronic medical records, health files, and patient purchase information. However, the WPMF guarantees data sharing and breaks down the barriers of information islands in traditional medicine. As a result, the patient can create user files in a mini-program to link the information across provinces, hospitals, and terminals, medical files for patients can be obtained.
As you could see on Nivose demo, showing product catalog in their flagship stores or popup store and could be relevant in their cases to showcase the full catalog on tablet to also get more information about the product or the brand.
If Nivose wants to set up this Mini Program Hardware Framework in one of their shops as a pilot test. How much would that cost?
https://developers.weixin.qq.com/doc/oplatform/Miniprogram_Frame/
https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1655614308316188539&wfr=spider&for=pc
https://www.ithome.com/0/467/810.htm
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/GGZny6-QIgDzNVtBqnOCAw
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/VDm0L-AtJaEDbFSc_6gxcg
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YNgNsoR5oMqc2h0rjKQTSA
https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/102462785