This is not a zero sum game
by Volker Weber
Comparing total registered users and active users is like comparing Ferrari 250 GTO with a skateboard.
— jan koum (@jankoum) May 1, 2013After Facebook bought WhatsApp, there have been many comparisons between usage numbers from the likes of KakaoTalk, Line, Viber, WeChat. Many of the small players often mentioned in Germany like ChatSecure, Threema, surespot, Telegram also reported tremendous growth rates (from a very low starting population). The game in on. All numbers are up.
Two things to keep in mind:
- This is not a zero sum game. I am registered on many platforms without using them.
- Monthly active users and messages are meaningful benchmarks. Registered users are not.
The big loser in this game is SMS. Paying by the message is a business model on its last legs.
Comments
After SMS, the next victim is the regular phone call. Telco's need to update their business model fast.
I have a SIM from T-Mobile USA. Unlimited talk, unlimited SMS, unlimited data, 200 MB at 4G, each day, $3 when used. I like this model.
Volker, can you elaborate a bit more on what you are trying to say with "unlimited data, 200MB at 4G"? Once you reach the 200MB threshold the rest of the unlimited data is delivered at 3G?
You can look it up at T-mobile.com. I never made it even close to 200 MB.
Thanks for the tip. I will take a deeper look into that offer!
