Businesses could soon be contacting their customers using WhatsApp, the instant messaging app acquired by Facebook in 2014.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Facebook Chief Financial Officer David Wehner announced the possibility at a JPMorgan tech conference in Boston.
“We think that enabling that B2C messaging has good business potential for us,” Mr Wehner said.
“As we learn those things, I think there’s going to be opportunities to bring some of those things to WhatsApp, but that’s more longer-term than the near-term.”
The move would certainly provide Facebook with a revenue plan, which has been a point of inquiry for many since they acquired WhatsApp for $21.8 billion.
While there are currently around 800 million WhatsApp users, substantial revenue-driving features are yet to be seen. Stock-related expenses are eating away at WhatsApp’s profit numbers; the $16 million made in the first of 2014 was just a fraction of the $232 million lost during the same period.
The technology has attracted 200 million more users since August 2014, a boost in growth set to continue as WhatsApp adds more features. Last month the service launched WhatsApp Calling, providing users with free calls – using Wi-Fi or a data connection.
