With social media, people in various parts of the world can connect with each other. One of the most popular social media today is WhatsApp. Well, in this article, I will explain about the meaning, history, functions and benefits, advantages and disadvantages of WhatsApp.
Based on the ranking of social media in the Internet and Telecom > Social Network category created by Similar Web on January 1, 2019, WhatsApp ranks 8th. Meanwhile, for the Global Rank, WhatsApp ranks 30th. WhatsApp acts as an online messenger application that is currently widely used for various things such as personal chat, community, online seminars, and so on. For more information about the meaning of WhatsApp, let’s see the explanation below.
Understanding WhatsApp-Messenger or WhatsApp is an instant and cross-platform messaging application on smartphones that allows users to send and receive messages such as SMS without using pulses but an internet connection. WhatsApp has a similar base to BlackBerry Messenger.-WhatsApp was released in January 2009. However, in 2014, WhatsApp was official
Understanding WhatsApp
Messenger or WhatsApp is an instant and cross-platform messaging application on smartphones that allows users to send and receive messages such as SMS without using pulses but an internet connection. WhatsApp has a basic similar to BlackBerry Messenger.
WhatsApp was released in January 2009. However, in 2014, WhatsApp officially became the property of Facebook after going through the acquisition process for 8 months. On WhatsApp, you can send text, photos, audio, files and images to other users, make calls, video calls, and create stories.
To use WhatsApp, all you have to do is register using your mobile number. WhatsApp can be run on several platforms, namely Android, BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry OS, iOS, Series 40, Windows Phone, Symbian, and Web-Based.
WhatsApp History
WhatsApp Inc was founded on February 24, 2009 in Mountain View, California, United States by Brian Acton and Jan Koum who used to work as Yahoo! employees. After they left Yahoo! in September 2007, they went to South America to refresh then applied to Facebook but were rejected.
In January 2009, after Koum bought the iPhone, he visited his friend Alex Fishman in to discuss the potential of the App Store application industry. At that time, Koum capitalized $ 400,000 which he collected while working at Yahoo! To realize the idea, he would need an iPhone developer.
Fishman finally introduced Koum, an iPhone developer from Russia whom he found on RentACoder.com, namely Igor Solomennikov. The application he created was named “WhatsApp”. Subsequently, he founded WhatsApp Inc in California on February 24, 2009.
However, the process is not smooth, meaning WhatsApp itself often crashes and fails to operate as expected. Finally, Koum felt hopeless and intended to close his business. However, Brian Acton pushed to keep trying for the next few months. Acton himself eventually joined Koum. In October 2009, Brian Acton invited five former Yahoo! to invest $250,000 in seed funding on WhatsApp and be awarded a position as co-founder.
Only then, in November 2009, WhatsApp was finally officially released on the App Store for the iPhone. After successfully entering the App Store, in January 2010 WhatsApp was entered into the BlackBerry Store then in August 2010, WhatsApp support for Android OS was added.
WhatsApp status changed from free to paid. WhatsApp’s active users have reached 200 million as of February 2013. The number has doubled in December and increased again to 500 million in April 2014. As of September 2015, WhatsApp’s active users have reached 900 million.
Due to the popularity and rapid development of WhatsApp, Facebook became interested and wanted to buy WhatsApp. Finally WhatsApp managed to switch ownership to Facebook after buying it for a fantastic price of $22.
WhatsApp Functions and Benefits
1.Personal or Group Chat
With WhatsApp, we can send messages with other users both text, audio, document files, photos and videos. Not only personal chat, but we can also create group chats that contain several other WhatsApp users. For example, we want to create a group chat that contains members of a large family to facilitate communication between families separated by distance.
2.Educational Media
Nowadays, it is not uncommon for people to use WhatsApp as a medium for learning such as courses/lessons (either in group chats or personal chats), seminars and online workshops. It is enough to create a group chat and then invite participants to join the group, so the class can start.
3.Business Media
WhatsApp is often used for business activities, for example for promotions, information, and orders. Businesses who use WhatsApp can promote their business personally with other users or by sending their business information to group chats. If someone is interested in the business, they will usually be directed to contact the business owner’s WhatsApp for more information and reservations.
4.Sharing Information and News
You can share information and news with other WhatsApp users by sending it to a personal chat or group chat.
5.Video and Voice Call
Well, besides being able to send messages, you can also call other users and also make video calls with them. In order for your video and voice calls to run smoothly without noise, make sure your internet connection is stable.