Viber News
25 articles
Messaging app Rakuten Viber lays off 45 employees, 8% of team | CTech
Instant messaging app Rakuten Viber has laid off 45 employees, making up 8% of its workforce. The company is refocusing its business to invest in fintech and utility products and services. This is the first significant cutback for the company since its founding 12 years ago. Vibers business strategy is evolving alongside its ongoing product innovation, particularly after the launch of its payment features in July 2022. The company is grateful to the affected employees and is working to support their transition. Rakuten Viber has 250 million monthly users, primarily from various countries.
Layoffs
CEO Ofir Eyal leads Viber to super app category with the launch of Payments service
Viber, the popular communications app, is rolling out an in-app payments service to create a digital wallet within the platform. The service will first introduce peer-to-peer transfers in Germany and Greece, with plans to expand to additional markets. The CEO of Viber, Ofir Eyal, aims to improve the user experience and make Viber a super app. Eyal has made significant contributions to the companys growth and is overseeing product development and market expansion efforts. Viber is investing in the Asia Pacific region and plans to grow its user base through country-specific partnerships and localized strategies. Additionally, Viber has launched mGames chatbot and Cricket Vibes Channel to entertain users and support their interests. Eyals leadership is expected to sustain Vibers growth and establish it as an innovative player in the messaging and app landscape.
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Rapyd selected as Rakuten Viber's first official payments provider to launch Viber Pay
Rapyd, a global fintech platform, is partnering with Rakuten Viber to introduce in-app payment transactions to the Viber app. This partnership allows Rakuten Viber to expand into digital payments and enter the global digital payments market. Viber users will be able to store money in a mobile wallet and send and receive money instantly and securely with no fees. The service will initially begin in Greece and Germany and later expand to more countries. This integration makes Rakuten Viber one of the first messaging platforms to offer instant digital payments capabilities. The partnership aims to bring safe and simple instant payments features to Viber users across borders.
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Messaging app Viber launches Payments, a new digital wallet for paying bills, money transfers and buying goods
Viber, owned by Rakuten, is launching Payments on Viber, a new service that allows users to set up digital wallets tied to their Viber accounts. The service will initially be available in Germany and Greece, with plans to expand to the rest of Europe and Vibers global footprint. Peer-to-peer transfers will be the first service to launch, followed by payments to businesses. Viber is partnering with fintech-as-a-service startup Rapyd to power Payments in the initial launch countries. Viber aims to increase user engagement and attract new users with the Payments service. The move to launch Payments comes as Viber seeks to tap into the growing mobile payments market, projected to reach $2.5 trillion by 2025.
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Viber launches group video call feature in BD
Viber has launched its new group video calls feature in Bangladesh, allowing up to 20 people to participate for an unlimited duration. The feature was added in response to the success of Vibers group audio calls and the growing demand for face-to-face conversations. The group video calls can be accessed through the Viber app and offer work-friendly features like screen sharing and video broadcasting. Users can start a group video call by tapping the new video button or adding participants to an ongoing call. Viber plans to expand this feature further in the future. The launch of group video calls allows users to communicate face-to-face while staying safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Viber Brings Disappearing Messages To Regular Chats As Well
Viber is expanding its privacy features by making disappearing messages available in all chats, not just secret chats. This move strengthens Vibers position as a leader in secure messaging. Users will be able to set a timer for the automatic deletion of text, photo, video, and other types of files. The feature will be available from early May 2020. Viber has previously introduced other privacy features such as a delete message feature for all chats, default end-to-end encryption, and hidden & secret chats. The company aims to ensure confidentiality and will also send a notification when the recipient takes a screenshot of the disappearing message.
Customers
WHO partners with WhatsApp, Facebook and Viber to bring most up to date and accurate information to billions of people
The World Health Organization (WHO) has partnered with WhatsApp, Facebook, and Viber to provide accurate information about COVID-19 to billions of people. WHO launched dedicated messaging services in multiple languages with WhatsApp and Facebook, potentially reaching 2 billion people. Additionally, a new interactive chatbot on Rakuten Viber aims to reach over 1 billion people in their local language. This partnership allows WHO to directly deliver important information to those who need it.
Partners
Viber will allow 10 participants in group calls due to growing COVID-19 concern Mobile Marketing Magazine
Rakuten Viber has announced that it will double the number of participants allowed on group calls through the Viber messaging app in response to the growing concern over the coronavirus pandemic. Starting this week, up to 20 people can be included on group calls, allowing families and work colleagues to stay connected. The app ensures that all communications, including calls, texts, photos, and shared documents, are end-to-end encrypted and nothing is permanently stored on Vibers servers. Rakuten Viber aims to provide a safe and secure environment for people to continue their jobs remotely and stay connected with loved ones during this challenging time.
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TechBytes with Zephrin Lasker, VP of E-Commerce at Rakuten Viber
The article discusses Vibers e-commerce platform and highlights its security features and unique keyboard format. It also explores the advantages of messaging apps for e-commerce, such as one-to-one interaction and privacy. The article emphasizes the importance of customer service in improving customer loyalty and retention. Vibers message-native approach to shopping is seen as a change in the e-commerce options available to brands. The impact of technologies like chatbots on e-commerce is also discussed. The article predicts that direct-to-consumer brands and regulatory scrutiny will shape the e-commerce industry in the future.
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Spartan and Rakuten announce new Viber community ahead of Spartan World Championships Mud Run, OCR, Obstacle Course Race & Ninja Warrior Guide
Rakuten Viber and Spartan have created the Spartan Viber Global Community for participants and fans of the 2019 Spartan World Championship. The platform provides access to exclusive content from top athletes and personalities in the sport. Rakuten Viber became the Official Communications Platform of Spartan through a partnership with Rakuten. The community offers Q&As, training plans, nutritional tips, and more. It also includes a dedicated sticker pack with Viber characters inspired by Spartan. Rakuten Viber aims to directly interact with dedicated and diverse fans of Spartan through this partnership.
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Viber launches in Bangla
Viber has rolled out a new user interface in Bangla language for the local market in Bangladesh. This update aims to make the app more accessible and user-friendly for the growing number of users in the country. Viber has been experiencing increasing popularity in Bangladesh and the localization of the user interface in Bangla will help users navigate the app and communicate more comfortably. Existing users can change the interface to Bangla by accessing the settings within the app. This update is expected to contribute to the growth of Vibers user base in Bangladesh.
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https://www.coinspeaker.com/viber-rakuten-coin/
Viber, the instant messaging and voice app, is planning to promote its native Rakuten coin beyond Japan. Viber CEO Djamel Agaoua said the company is considering launching the coin in Russia in 2019, where it would be available in the app’s built-in wallet and could be converted into rubles, dollars or euros. The company needs to secure a license from the local regulator to do so. Viber was developed in Israel and was bought by Japanese-based Rakuten for $900m in 2014. The app has more than a billion users worldwide.
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Viber acquires Chatter Commerce, maker of mobile shopping keyboard ShopChat
Viber has acquired Chatter Commerce, the company behind mobile shopping keyboard ShopChat. The acquisition is expected to support Vibers goal of transforming into a multi-service communication platform and expanding its global mobile commerce strategy. Chatter Commerces team of seven engineers will join Viber, with the CEO becoming the global head of ecommerce at Viber. Viber, which has over 800 million users globally, is owned by Rakuten, who also served as the lead investor in Chatter Commerces seed funding round.
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Viber Announces New Messaging Features
Viber, a world leader in messaging platforms, has announced the launch of new features for their messaging solutions. The updates aim to make the service easier and more intuitive for their customers to use. The new features include groups in common, messaging visibility, and quick replies. Viber has also introduced the Lock Desktop feature for their desktop solution. The updates support the companys commitment to usability and data privacy, with end-to-end encryption included in all private conversations and group chats. The upgrades will be available throughout June for Vibers 1 billion international users.
Customers
Infobip and Rakuten Viber Enable Businesses and Banks to Reach Millions of Targeted Customers in Nepal
Infobip strengthens its presence in Nepal by offering Viber messaging campaigns for financial institutions, enterprises, and organizations. The companys OMNI solution allows businesses to choose the optimal communication channels for their messages. Viber is installed on 59% of smartphone users in South East Asia and close to five million people in Nepal. Rastriya Banijya Bank Limited, Nepals largest commercial bank, is positive about the integration of Viber and Infobip. Infobips portal provides a user-friendly interface for organizing messaging campaigns and offers real-time campaign reports. Nepals fintech market is expanding rapidly, making it a growing market for Infobip.
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Viber Launches Group Chats of Up to One Billion Users
Viber, the messaging app owned by Rakuten, has launched a new service called Viber Communities, which allows group chats of up to one billion participants. The move is part of a larger trend of messaging apps adding social features to compete with social networks. Vibers new group size limit sets it apart from other messaging apps. Group admins will have control over the conversation and will be able to activate monetization features. Viber CEO Djamel Agaoua stated that the community feature offers an unprecedented opportunity for community owners to monetize their communities. Viber was acquired by Rakuten in 2014 for $900 million. The company has partnered with French soccer club Olympique de Marseille and uses Viber Communities for local book clubs in the US.
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Rakuten's Viber Partners with Social Media Marketing App Sprinklr
Viber, the instant messaging and voice over IP app, has partnered with social media marketing app Sprinklr Inc. The integration will enable brands using Sprinklrs services to engage Vibers user base of almost 1 billion. Viber, founded in 2010 in Tel Aviv, is available in 193 countries and is especially popular in Russia and Arab-speaking countries. Rakuten Inc., Japans number one e-commerce company, acquired Viber for $900 million in 2014. Sprinklr, established in 2009 and headquartered in New York, offers customers a management system with services on multiple social media channels. In 2016, the company raised $105 million at a $1.8 billion valuation.
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Viber adds pinned messages and replies in groups, plus broadcast messages
Viber has released an update (version 7.7.0) with new features for groups, including the ability to pin messages to the top and reply to specific messages. The update also introduces broadcast lists and messages, allowing users to send the same message to multiple people. These features, although already available on other messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp, provide Viber users with more options and functionality. The update is already live on the Play Store and can be sideloaded from APK Mirror.
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Viber acquires Chatter Commerce, the startup behind its shopping keyboard
Viber has acquired Chatter Commerce, the startup behind its Instant Shopping feature. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Chatter Commerce was already working with Viber and was backed by $1.25 million led by Rakuten, the Japanese e-commerce giant that owns Viber. The acquisition signals Vibers intention to expand its e-commerce capabilities. Chatter Commerces team of seven engineers will join Viber, and its CEO and co-founder will become Vibers global head of e-commerce. The acquisition comes at a time when messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and Amazon are also expanding their transactional features.
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Messaging app Viber is adding self-destructing chats for its 800 million users
Viber, one of the worlds biggest messaging apps with over 800 million registered users, is introducing a new feature called secret chats to enhance privacy and security for its customers. Secret chats allow users to start conversations that self-destruct after a certain time limit, block forwarding of messages, notify users on iOS when someone takes a screenshot, and block screenshots on Android. The feature will be available on Android and iOS next week. This move reflects the growing trend of privacy and security features becoming commonplace in messaging apps.
Customers
Messaging giant Viber becomes more like Facebook with the launch of Public Accounts for businesses and brands
Viber has announced a new suite of tools designed to connect businesses and marketers with the mobile messaging app’s 800 million users. With Public Accounts, Viber is pushing to become a platform through which companies can both broadcast messages en masse and communicate one-to-one with customers. The new service is being touted for use across customer service, marketing, and sales. Viber already had a feature called Viber for Business, but Public Accounts takes it a step further by giving businesses more ways to communicate directly with their customers. Public Accounts are available worldwide, launching in partnership with brands like The Weather Channel, Yandex, and The Huffington Post. Viber was acquired by Rakuten for $900 million in 2014.
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Viber adds end-to-end encryption and hidden chats as messaging app privacy wave grows
Viber, a messaging app with over 711 million users, is introducing end-to-end encryption for all messages and calls on its platform. The new privacy features will be rolled out globally in the coming weeks. Vibers encryption will come with varying levels of security, and users will have the option to authenticate users before each conversation. The company is also adding hidden chats and an enhanced delete feature to improve privacy. In addition, Viber plans to add more functionality, including a service for businesses and a platform for bots. Vibers parent company is Rakuten.
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Viber buys Israeli mobile game developer Nextpeer
Viber has acquired Israeli mobile game developer Nextpeer for $9 million. The acquisition is part of Vibers long-term strategy to invest in and retain top talent in the tech space. Nextpeers software development kit enables game developers to add multiplayer features and a social layer to any game. Viber will use Nextpeers expertise to increase engagement in Viber Games and help users discover new content on the platform.
Acquisition
'Viber' Messaging App Now Lets You Peek in on Celebrity Chatter
Viber, a messaging and voice call app, is introducing a new feature called Public Chats that allows users to see what celebrities and public personalities are chatting about. The company hopes that this feature will differentiate it from competitors like WhatsApp, Kik, and WeChat. Viber, which has 210 million monthly active users, was sold to Japanese internet company Rakuten for $900 million. The CEO of Viber believes that the introduction of original content through Public Chats will encourage more users to switch to the platform. However, analysts suggest that Viber will need more than just celebrity engagement to compete with larger messaging platforms.
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http://www.jpost.com/business/business-features/japans-rakuten-acquires-israeli-tech-company-viber-for-900-million-341447
Japanese Internet services company Rakuten has acquired Viber Media, an Israel-founded company, for $900 million. Viber Media has 300 million registered users who use the program for calls and texts using mobile data plans or WiFi. The acquisition is expected to bring new audiences to Rakutens ecosystem of internet services. Rakuten has recently made several international acquisitions, including Canadian e-book company Kobo, Spanish TV and movie streaming site Wuaki.tv, and Singaporean video streaming site Viki. The acquisition of Viber Media will enable Rakuten to penetrate new markets with multiple digital content offerings.
Acquisition
