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.
How many of you are active WhatsApp users?
Source: Facebook (Jan Koum)
