140 Million+ In Just DecemberSkype Competitor Viber Hits 175 Million Users,

Human - 8:17 AM

Messaging business Viber, which lets consumers of most smartphone systems send free texts, calls and additionally communications via it is software, is continuing to ramp upwards it is user-base. Communicating during the Cell phone World Congress trade tv show in Barcelona today, CEO Talmon Marco revealed the startup now has 175 million consumers.

Viber possess been around since early 2011, however growing swiftly within the past 12 weeks. In December it passed 140 million consumers, claiming it ended up being adding new consumers at just a rate of 400,000 everyday. Backside in September, it hit 100 billion consumers, soon after hitting 70 billion users in Might and also 55 million in February.

The messaging area is very fragmented around the globe, but for some context, Occupation - a messaging software popular in Japan - passed away the 100 billion user mark last days. Whatsapp, popular in Europe, is estimated to have around two hundred and fifty billion consumers. And Skype - the grand-daddy of the area - is thought to have around 800 billion consumers, with a few 280 million month-to-month users because of November persist 12 months.

“Sometimes services take off because of pure luck… sometimes it’s timing. It’s the soul that you put into this. The proof is in the pudding,” said Marco.

Additionally today, Marco said Viber has got closed a partnership with Indonesian carrier Axis to deliver reduced price point packages for people because marketplace using Viber’s free messaging services.

Carriers have a powerful uneasy relationship with so-called OTT (over-the-top) players like Viber - accusing them of stealing the value by luring customers away from carrier services but Marco mentioned carriers and additionally OTT players can work together to the advantage of both, arguing which the customer which signs up for the lower price Viber package with Axis will end up upgrading to more expensive data services.