The market for messaging applications just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Along with this growth in user base is a growth in competition.
Tencent is not content to simply let competitors outside of China win big in the booming market, and has launched its WeChat mobile messaging app in India in a bid to tap into the country’s growing smartphone user base.
WeChat currently claims 300 million users globally, most of which are in mainland China. Its expansion to India could also bode well for the company’s future as it expands to other markets around the globe. The company will also be looking to monetize WeChat with mobile games and brand associations with merchants.
WeChat has caught up with veterans like WhatsApp and Viber quickly. The former has recently become “bigger than twitter”, while Viber claims over 175 million users as of February.
As the messaging market continues to push forward and expand, it will be interesting to see the different innovations that come from it. It’s an awesome time to be a smartphone owner!