WhatsApp officially launches its app for businesses in select markets

WhatsApp has officially launched its app for businesses in select markets, including the US, UK, Italy, Mexico and Indonesia.

WhatsApp is one of the largest messaging platform worldwide, and has superseded traditional text messaging in many markets. It appears as if the company has their sights set on enterprise customers, however, with the rollout of a new WhatsApp Business app.

The WhatsApp Business app ships with the addition of business profiles as well as new messaging tools designed with business in mind – all part of the company’s profit plan moving forward to generate more income by charging big businesses for advanced tools that can be used to relate information to a ubiquitous platform used by over a billion people around the world.

WhatsApp announced the new app's features would include:

1. Business profiles: Help customers with useful information such as a business description, email or store addresses, and website.

2.Messaging tools: Save time with smart messaging tools – quick replies that provide fast answers to frequently asked questions, greeting messages that introduce customers to your business, and away messages that let them know you're busy.

3.Messaging statistics: Review simple metrics like the number of messages read to see what's working.

4.WhatsApp web: Send and receive messages with WhatsApp Business on your desktop.

5.Account type: People will know that they're talking to a business because you will be listed as a Business Account. Over time, some businesses will have Confirmed Accounts once it’s been confirmed that the account phone number matches the business phone number.

At launch, the WhatsApp Business is available as a free download on Google Play in supported markets.however, plan to launch the app on other operating systems at some point in the future.