Facebook-owned WhatsApp launched a messenger service for business enterprises on September 5. With the new service, business houses will be able to communicate with their clients and vice versa in a dedicated channel with security via encryption.
"WhatsApp has simplified communication for people around the world. Now, we want to apply this same approach to bringing businesses onto WhatsApp in ways that create value for people. We're looking forward to making it possible for people to connect with businesses in a fast and personal way, and giving businesses the tools to make that easier to do," Matt Idema, WhatsApp CEO, said in a statement.
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In a bid to curb fake profiles, WhatsApp will add a marker to certify the authenticity of the account similar to the verified profile with blue tick-mark we see on Twitter, but it will be green colour in the former [check below].
As of now, WhatsApp for Business is still under testing and will be made available to small and big companies operating at a large scale with a global base of customers, like airlines, e-commerce sites, and banks. These businesses will be able to use WhatsApp to provide customers with useful notifications like flight times, delivery confirmations, and other updates.
Initially, WhatsApp for Business will be offered for free, but the company has plans to monetise by levying services charges on bigger companies in future.
"We do intend on charging businesses in the future. [But] We don't have the details of monetization figured out [yet]." Matt Idema told Wall Street Journal.
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