CHINA TOPIX

12/22/2024 06:35:41 pm

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WeChat to Launch Separate App for Enterprise Clients

WeChat is set to launch a separate app for its enterprise clients

(Photo : Reuters) The Enterprise WeChat app is created specifically for business professionals.

Messaging app WeChat is set to launch a different application intended for its growing enterprise clients.

The application, dubbed Qiye Weixin (or Enterprise WeChat) is currently undergoing beta testing and is expected to be rolled out in the next few months. The app is designed to cater to work-related communication, according to a statement released on Thursday by Tencent Holdings Inc., the firm that owns WeChat.

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The Internet giant said that the initiative will allow people separate work-related subjects from their personal lives. This app is expected to be very beneficial to people, who tend to still discuss work topics even outside office hours. It particularly aims to encourage and help people maintain a balance between work and life.

Meanwhile, experts say that the current move is Tencent's attempt to tap into China's trillion-yuan worth enterprise software service industry. WeChat is eager to broaden its market to enterprise clients, according to Ji Yanhang from the Analysys International Internet consultancy firm in Beijing.

Ji said that a number of companies have already ventured into the instant messaging industry. He noted that many firms are interested in "digitalizing their entire business operational process, not only communication, but also human resource management and enterprise resources planning."

In 2003, Tencent launched its pioneer enterprise instant messaging tool RTX. The year after, the firm added an enterprise account inside WeChat to aid employers efficiently connect and collaborate with their employees.

The concept of creating a separate messaging service app, however, is not new as Tencent's direct competitor Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has already introduced DingTalk in February last year. Alibaba's financial report in January showed that its app has attracted over one million enterprise users.

Given this, the app's ruling position in China is not yet cemented, according to Ji. He further revealed that even if WeChat only takes a small portion of the enterprise service users, it would still be a decent share of the market.

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