WeChat is a messaging app owned by Tencent that launched in 2011 and has grown to over 600 million users by 2013. It allows audio messaging, integration of other social features and payments, and has added new services like taxi booking. As a competitor to WhatsApp and Alibaba's Alipay, WeChat continues to introduce new features, attracting more users and challenging other messaging platforms.

1. Tencent WeChat
Tingyi Wei
http://www.insidemobileapps.com/2013/04/22/wechat-
launches-tv-commercial-campaign-targets-singapore/

2. What’s WeChat?
http://download-wechat.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/08/Download-

3. History
 Owned by Tencent
 2011.01 Launched
 2012.03 100M users (443 days)
 2012.09 200M users (6 months)
 2013.01 300M users (4 months)
 2013.10 600M users (9 months)

4. What’s Special?
 Audio Message
 Integration of SMS, social networks,
games, even payments
 Different ways of adding friends
http://www.techinasia.com/wechat-indonesia-

5. What’s Hot?
 Added taxi booking and payment
service in January 2014
 Support for Didi Taxi Service
 21 million rides booked on WeChat
during the first month

6. Interesting Story
 WeChat Tenpay
 Strong competitor to Alibaba Alipay
 Attract users by offering coupons for
each purchase or taxi ride to both
buyers and sellers

7. Tencent Financial Info
 IPO 2004 in Hong Kang
 Market value exceeds $100B Sep.
2013
WhatsApp 19B
=> WeChat 13B

8. Competitors

9. Prediction
 Success: yes
 New features: yes
 Substituted by new ways for
messaging: yes