Although the creators of WhatsApp, Brian Acton and Jan Koum , have defended tooth and nail the independence of their messaging application and their mission to facilitate the communication of the users leaving out the and other monetization techniques, it seems that Facebook might have other plans in mind for this tool. And it is now known that the social network could give a twist to the most used messaging application in the world forfocus it on the business environment, trying to get more profitability from your purchase.
At least that's what the head of the Facebook financial office, David Wehner has expressed , at a conference by JP Morgan (US financial company). In his words, “enabling B2C messages (from merchant to consumer) has good business potential for us” Or what is the same, usingWhatsApp in a way commercial, proposing a simple and direct way of communication between businesses and customers could be the way to monetize and obtain profitability from the disbursement of 21 billion dollars the social network made when decided to acquire WhatsApp in February of last year
Apparently, in statements reported by the media Bloomberg, Wehnerwould see it feasible to charge companies for using WhatsApp to get in touch with their customers.Something that would revitalize the economic income of WhatsApp and, therefore, of Facebook, in addition to open a new line of business for the messaging application. Of course, there are already many businesses that exploit the virtues of WhatsApp to carry out their commercial activity, or to assist their clients in a direct, comfortable and custom.
The idea is to monetize WhatsApp beyond the annual euro that users must pay to renew their subscription to continue using this tool. Something that would already bring the company over 800 million a year, given its current active user base. Of course, apparently it is only an idea that could arrive in the long term, so no substantial changes are expected soon in terms of the operation and price of WhatsApp
Now it only remains to be seen if these measures are really accepted by Jan Koum, who continues to lead WhatsApp despite being acquired by Facebook And if they really betray their principles in order to offer more money and profitability to the social network Something that, if not done tactfully, could significantly damage the useful life of the messaging application and the almost unconditional support of its users, who prefer it over other alternatives completely free and with more functions
At the moment, and despite its rules of use, which expressly prohibit the commercial and propaganda aspect through WhatsApp, some companies They announce their telephone numbers to contact by this means. And even the political parties have decided to reach the public through an application with which they are sure to know when a message is read by the interlocutor.
