San Francisco (January 19, 2018): Messaging application WhatsApp said on Thursday that it would begin allowing business accounts for the first time, a step that brings the free service closer to a plan that would make money for its corporate parent, Facebook Inc.
Some businesses already use WhatsApp, with 1.3 billion users, to answer inquires from customers. Business accounts will allow them to set up automatic greetings, see statistics about their messaging and set up a profile page with hours of operation and other information, WhatsApp said.
The accounts are aimed at businesses that receive a high volume of WhatsApp messages and need help keeping up, WhatsApp Chief Operating Officer Matt Idema said.“What we saw was a need for businesses to have more efficient tools,” Idema said in an interview.
The WhatsApp blog said the app will be available for Android only.The company said it plans to roll out the accounts to other countries in the coming weeks, and eventually to have a version for Apple iPhones.
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