App 'WhatsApp Business'
Special WhatsApp for small businesses
The short message service WhatsApp wants to establish itself more strongly as a channel for small companies to communicate with their customers: The Facebook subsidiary is launching the new 'WhatsApp Business' app, which provides additional tools for companies.
The new app is designed to help companies save time. For example, by allowing them to save answers to frequently asked questions and retrieve them when needed, said WhatsApp manager Mitu Singh. The app will initially only be released for Google's Android operating system. It remains to be seen when there might be a version for Apple's iOS system.
Other functions of the app include out-of-office notes for customer service and the option to centrally manage key data such as opening hours or address. Companies also have access to statistics on their interactions with users. They can exchange chat messages with customers as well as make voice and video calls. The companies also get to see the phone numbers of the users.
The messages between companies and their customers are protected by end-to-end encryption, as is usual with WhatsApp, Singh emphasized. The restriction to a maximum of 256 members in a group will also remain in place for the company app. However, the focus is on simplifying conversations with individual customers, Singh emphasized.
The app was initially launched on Google's Play Store app platform in the USA, UK, Italy, Mexico and Indonesia on January 18, 2018. It will then be available worldwide in the coming weeks.
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