Kik Interactive burst onto the over-the-top messaging market in late 2010 with its Kik Messenger app, which supports chat-based conversations across platforms including Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS and Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android and lets users sign in with their Kik username, not their phone number, to guarantee control over their privacy. However, Kik Messenger also integrates HTML5-powered apps called Cards. The Cards layer enables Kik to quickly create and deploy cross-platform apps within the Messenger client, allowing users to find and share YouTube videos, forward images or create sketches without exiting the app. Consumers have downloaded more than 25 million Cards since the feature launched last November, and the Cards platform will play a critical role in Kik's plans to monetize its business moving forward. Kik Interactive CEO Ted Livingston spoke to FierceDeveloper contributor Jason Ankeny about the firm's surging adoption, building out its platform and the importance of anticipating new opportunities. Developer Workshop
