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Comment by primitivesuave | Hacker News Reader

My uncle in India runs a construction company, and literally every single aspect of company communication is done over WhatsApp. Each construction site has to constantly post pictures on WhatsApp, and basically all management and payroll decisions are made through WhatsApp discussions. Apparently this is not an uncommon practice, as businesses that were once administered by pen and paper are now using WhatsApp to improve efficiency and reach new customers.

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That's amazing. It can be easy to write off WhatsApp with an ethnocentric view, but to hear how other people are using it on the other side of the world certainly adds a new perspective

Same thing with the diamond merchants in India. A lot of deals and much of the communication is now done over WhatsApp. People in India get a smartphone for the sole reason to use WhatsApp, whether the individual is a servant or a rich businessman.

Also I noticed these Tata "WhatsApp data packs"; so they did partnerships directly with mobile providers. 30m actives in India.

What's special about Whatsapp that made them choose this platform rather than (say) email, any other chap app, or even Facebook itself?

Network effects, probably. Given a choice, I'd use something else, but all my friends and contacts are on WhatsApp.

That's my impression too. I can see it's good at what it does, but it looks like a severe case of right place at the right time in an otherwise ordinary messaging app. I wonder if they decided early to focus on language localization and so deliver the most polished-looking product in underserved markets.

It's simple. It's instant. Not everyone (especially in Asia) has a Facebook account or even wants on. SMS was already what was powering communications in Asia. Whatsapp took SMS , added images, group chat and removed the cost.

Also, it was free and works on Android (Very important in South Asia).

Many older people get smartphones just to use whatsapp to communicate with others. I'm not joking. I upgraded my mom to a smartphone against her will so that she can use whatsapp to communicate with friends and family more easily.

I guess I'm confused because there are lots of messaging apps, eg http://personalweb.about.com/od/mobile-messaging/tp/8-Mobile... and indeed Android's built-in messaging. I'm not trying to dismiss whatsapp, just having a hard time seeing what makes it distinctive.

Supposedly they have a huge install base in many (non-US) markets. The idea is probably that network effects will make it so that they'll continue to be the dominant player for a long time.

They were the first good option on Android and iOS and Blackberry when Blackberry was going down hill. In countries where BBM was strong and then started to fade, users went to WhatsApp. It used your phone number so everyone in your address book was using WhatsApp. I saw this first hand in Canada. Kik also did well but didn't gain traction like WhatsApp. Line & WeChat were/are East Asia focused. MessageMe was late to the game.

Thanks for the succinct summary.

It's interesting to note from Whatsapp legal info that they say it's only for USA based users.

cf my comment https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7267310 or http://www.whatsapp.com/legal/

That's weird. They did lots of publicity with Nokia and Movistar in Argentina.

It is weird isn't it. But you can verify it by going to http://www.whatsapp.com/legal/ and reading the "Special note to international users".

My interpretation of this and a couple of other hints - you agree to transfer your info to the USA, anyone not blocked that has your phone number can read your communiques - is that they're saying that a USA TLA [or whoever] are guaranteed to be observing you when you use the service. But that could easily be misinterpretation on my part.

The TOS doesn't say "only for" it says:

"The Service is controlled and offered by WhatsApp from its facilities in the United States of America. WhatsApp makes no representations that the WhatsApp Service is appropriate or available for use in other locations. Those who access or use the WhatsApp Service from other jurisdictions do so at their own volition and are responsible for compliance with local law."

2 days ago it read [and still reads]:

>"Special Note to International Users

>"The WhatsApp Site and Service are hosted in the United States and are intended for and directed to users in the United States. If you are a user accessing the WhatsApp Site and Service from the European Union, Asia, or any other region with laws or regulations governing personal data collection, use, and disclosure, that differ from United States laws, please be advised that through your continued use of the WhatsApp Site and Service, which are governed by California law, this Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Service, you are transferring your personal information to the United States and you expressly consent to that transfer and consent to be governed by California law for these purposes." //

Indeed checking now, from UK on 21 Feb 2014, http://www.whatsapp.com/legal/ still reads as above.

"intended for and directed to users in the United States"

That's a bit shady since they don't mention that on the UK app store page.

I was amazed how big whatsapp was in India and now in Mexico. Cool story.

And on the other side of the coin you have my folks in China who all use WeChat for everything. In fact, I was much more familiar with WeChat than WhatApp.

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