WhatsApp changes business model. Now free for all

WhatsApp has finally announced that their app is going to be completely free for everyone. This is because WhatsApp realises that many of their customers did not possess credit or debit cards and were afraid of losing their access to this service.

According to the company, nearly a billion people around the world rely on this app to stay in touch with their friends and family across the globe. Since this app can basically let you reach as far as there is some semblance of an Internet connection, rural folks were worried that — due to their limited to non-existent access to banking services — they would lose this connection to their loved ones.

Besides that, WhatsApp has also ensured their users that they would not be resorting to third-party advertisements on their application to generate income. Instead, they’re testing tools that will allow users to use WhatsApp to communicate with businesses and organisations that they want to talk to. Think of it as a messaging gateway for enterprises.

For example, you could possibly communicate with your bank about whether a recent transaction was fraudulent or with an airline about your recent flight delay. Also imagine being able to receive TAC PIN number from your bank on WhatsApp instead of SMS. This means instant updates that could otherwise take hours — a good idea in concept at least.

The thing about this is, have you ever paid for WhatsApp? Yeah sure, some of you early adopters on iOS and BlackBerry might have had to pay USD0.99 (RM4.40), but I think the rest of us haven’t paid for it once. I know I haven’t, despite all that “free-for-first-year” thing. What about you guys? How many of you have paid for WhatsApp and are annoyed with this?

[SOURCE]