After Facebook announcing earlier this month that it witnessed one billion daily active users, it is now WhatsApp's turn to share some usage figures. According to co-founder Jan Koum, the service now has 900 million active users, up from 800 million in the month of April.
Acquired by Facebook last year for $19 billion, WhatsApp has seen its user base double over the course of the year, with India and Brazil representing key regions for the service. Other messaging services popular in emerging markets — such as Line, WeChat and Kakao — have leveraged some form of in-app purchases for monetization, offering stickers, emoticons and themes. WhatsApp, meanwhile, charges users an annual fee of $1, with customers in developing markets able to access the service for free.
It is possible that we'll see the service gaining integration with other services, becoming a platform for connecting brands with consumers. We're already starting to see this in India, with several mainstream brands offering exclusive deals and discounts through WhatsApp.
Source: Facebook (Jan Koum)
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