[reuters request] Whatsapp and social networks
html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"
Dear Subscriber, hi, this is one of my occasional requests for help on a story flashed out to folk such as yourself. If it's not in your bailiwick, no worries, please just ignore.
I'm looking for a few quick hits on the WhatsApp deal -- by mid afternoon Asia time. Any or all on the following would be welcome:
- any data on whatsapp usage, growth and popularity in Asia (or anywhere, but particularly emerging markets and Asia). Has it been displaced by others?
- thoughts on what kind of challenge the facebook purchase represents to big Asia players like LINE, KakaoTalk and WeChat. Do they care? Should they? What's the game here -- monetisation that these guys are focusing on, or subscriptions, simplicity and growth, which is what Facebook is aiming at?
- whose noses are going to be put out of joint by this deal? Telcos? Google, Microsoft et al?
- which other messaging apps might be ripe for similar takeover? mig33, Bubbly, BBM, Tango etc? Or is that not what this is all about?
- Whatsapp users: do we know who they are and what they do? It's never been an age-related app, and so perhaps it's as much a business communications tool as a social one?
Best, Jeremy
______________
Jeremy Wagstaff
Chief Technology Correspondent, Asia
Chief Technology Correspondent, Asia
Singapore
Thomson Reuters
Mobile: 65 93270434
jeremy.wagstaff@thomsonreuters.com
jeremy.wagstaff@gmail.com OR loosewire@fastmail.fm
Thomson Reuters
Mobile: 65 93270434
jeremy.wagstaff@thomsonreuters.com
jeremy.wagstaff@gmail.com OR loosewire@fastmail.fm
Blog/guidance for PR: http://www.loosewireblog.com
|
Don't miss what's next. Subscribe to My Awesome Newsletter: