Laiwang already got the more than 10 million registered users. And their next challenge is to get more than 100 million users within the next year.

Recently the Alibaba group and the former CEO Jack Ma are strongly promoting their own IM tool 'Laiwang', but according to their announcement, the registered user of Laiwang already exceeded 10 million people now.

And Jack Ma said their next challenge will be getting more than 100 million users  within 2014. According to their announcement, its active users are rapidly increasing, and they said that its growth rate is over 500%.

And Jack Ma also said that they will be challenging toward to WeChat, and it may seem impossible, but they will make strenuous efforts the 'impossible' changing to 'possible'.

Now Laiwang is providing it Android and iOS client and Web browser version now, but its functions are almost similar to WeChat, and there is no definite difference with it.

So I think it's difficult that Laiwang will beat WeChat at this time, but Alibaba group 'Taobao' has more than 400 million users on their mobile client. So if Laiwang will focus to enhance the linkage function with such an EC solution, they will have a bright future that they can change current 'impossible' situation to 'possible'.


Source => TechWeb

Yixin also started to provide its client for PC. But that function is restrictive at this time.

Their rival 'WeChat' have already provided its Web browser version as a PC client, but Yixin (EasyChat) also recently started to provide its PC client.

But this version is limited in the function as same as the Web browser version of WeChat now. For example, it supports only a part of the chatting function, and it doesn't support the function of using the social page, stamp, adding the new friend, voice chatting and so forth.

Its help page often uses the word of 'at this version', so we may be able to expect its upgrade. But basically, Yixin has focussed to the mobile solution, so I think that it will not bring the dramatic improvement.

So as same as the Web browser version of WeChat, it may be useful when we have to send a long message to the friend :)


Source => The official page of Yixin

The number of WeChat monthly active users is 271.9 million people, and it increased 124.3% compared to the year-earlier period.

Because Tencent also published their performance reporting in the third quarter, so I would like to introduce some number that is related to social media.

At first, this report said that the monthly active users (MAU) of WeChat was 271.9 million people as of the third quarter.

It increased 124.3% compared to the year-earlier period, and increased 15.3% compared to the previous period.

Tencent haven't published the total number of WeChat registered users since the beginning of this year, so I don't know the actual ratio of active users. According to some source, the total number of WeChat registered users are about 500 million people, so it can be said that the ratio of monthly active users is about 54.3%.


And the other numbers that are related to social media are as follows:

- Monthly active users of IM (* It means 'QQ') were 815.6 million people.
(It decreased 0.4% compared to the previous period, and increased 4.0% compared to the year-earlier period.)

- The number of the peak simultaneous online IM was 178.2 million people.
(It increased 2.9% compared to the previous period, and increased 6.5% compared to the year-earlier period.)

- Monthly active users of Qzone were 623.3 million people.
(It decreased 0.5% compared to the previous period, and increased 5.1% compared to the year-earlier period.)


Tencent said that they will continuously strive to increase the MAU of WeChat, and they will also strive to get more WeChat users in overseas.

They published the latest version of Android client, but this adding function may be the small evidence of their effort to get more oversea users :)

Source => The performance reporting by Tencent (PDF)

The ad sales revenue of Sina Weibo increased 125% compared with the year-earlier period. They will also publish ads API soon.

Sina recently published the performance reporting of Sina Weibo in the third quarter.

This report said that the total revenue of Sina Weibo in the third quarter was 53.4 million USD, and this breakdown is composed of 43.7 million USD ad revenue and 9.7 million USD services revenue.

Their ad revenue increased 125% compared with the year-earlier period, and their service revenue increased 121%, but at the point of comparison with the last quarter, it can be said their service revenue was slight increase.

This service revenue includes the revenue from Weibo Club and the sharing revenue from the apps or games developer, but as I said before, they have to enhance this area to industrialize more than now.

But on the other hand, of course, the ad revenue is the one of important business for Sina Weibo. So they recently announced that they will publish the ad API of Sina Weibo soon.

Their rival 'WeChat' already expressed that they would not like their user to use their platform as a marketing tool. So from this point of view, to become a social marketing platform may be a one of good method for the differentiation with them.


Source => Tencent IT, Lieyun Net

Yixin expanded the campaign of providing the free data packet. All of Chinese mobile users have a chance to get 300MB data packets.

As I explained before, the own IM tool of Alibaba 'Laiwang' started to provide the free data packet to their users, but Yixin also expanded the similar campaign.

The target users of this campaign are not only included China Telecom users, but also is included China Mobile and China Unicom. But there are some different conditions between China Telecom users and other 2 careers to get this service.

China Telecom users only register Yixin, and then they can get 300MB free data packet. And if the user will post messages more than 5 times, then they can get 60MB free data packet every month. China Mobile and China Unicom users invite the 6 acquaintances to Yixin, and then they can get the 300MB free data packets. And they don't have the chance to get the 60MB gift every month.

It seems that there is not the limitation by area like the campaign of Alibaba.

Laiwang and Yixin started the similar campaign to get more users. Then how about WeChat is? It seems that the battle space of IM tool in China is not only the function field, but also was added the service field.

Let's keep watching their actions and the trend of this industry as ever.


Source => Official page of Yixin

Alibaba accelerated to promote their own IM tool 'Laiwang' again. They will give 2GB mobile packet to a part of users to promote it.

As I explained before, Alibaba strengthened to promote their own IM tool 'Laiwang'.

And recently, it seems that they accelerated its promotion again, they announced that they will give 2GB mobile packet to a part of their users.

To take this gift, users have to access this site and apply for.
* There is a limitation in this at this time, and the user who can get this gift is only as follows:

- China Unicom users in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Hunan.
- China Mobile users in Guandong


And on the other hand, Jack Ma repeatedly mentioned about 'Laiwang', and he also said that he is looking forward to battle with WeChat.

Furthermore, they will publish the management tool of the official account for their platform as same as WeChat or Yixin. It seems that they have not published its web site, but they already prepared it on the client side.

I can hardly imagine that Laiwang will close with WeChat as a common IM tool at this time, but Alibaba is the king of the EC market in China. So if they will focus to collaborate IM function and EC, then there may be a way.


Source => Tech Sina, Netease News-1, Netease News-2, TechWeb

The registered user of Yixin already exceeded 30 million people. Its main users are 16 to 25 years old.

Yixin (EasyChat)  got a good start, and they also continue to increase their users after that, but they officially reported their users already exceeded 30,000,000 people as of Oct. 28.

According to them, Yixin is mainly welcomed by young people, and actually 70 percent of their users are 16 to 25 years old (They are called post-85s or post-90s in China). And its daily active users are 28% of all, and over 32 million information is posted on there in a day.

The official said that they also continue to enhance its function, and at the same time they will also add the attractive new function. For example, they said that they will adopt the mobile payment function or games on their platform.

But I personally think this is an imitation of WeChat, so I think that they should choose the other way with WeChat, for example they recently adopted the international call function. Because they can utilize the infrastructure that China Telecom has.

In China, now Alibaba also strongly promotes their own IM tool 'Laiwang', and the largest electronics retail store in China 'Suning' also have a plan to provide their own IM tool 'Yunxin'. So we cannot take our eyes off of the future trend in this industry.


Source => Netease IT, CNFOL

Yixin (EasyChat) added the international call function to the new version. Its user can get 60 minutes free call from oversea to China.

Yixin (EasyChat) recently published the new version, but this version was added to the function of the international call.

This version only supports the call from the oversea to China, but its user can get the 60 minutes free call per a month.

How to use this? It's very simple.

1. Click the setting ("设定") button.
2. Click the international call ("国际漫游电话") button.
3. Click the call ("拨打国际漫游电话") button
4. Select the person who you want to call from the contact list.

That's all.

I think that this function is very useful not only for the traveler in China, but also is useful when the foreigner who lives in China temporarily go back to the own country.


This type of function can become the advantage compared to WeChat, but it is easy to implement for Yixin, because China Telecom joined this product. If WeChat would like to implement the similar function, they have to construct like the IP telephony system by themselves.

As I said before,  if Yixin will go the way to become the total communication platform in all of on the user's mobile phone like this solution, then Yixin can close in on WeChat more than now.


Source => Sohu IT, cnBeta

How to use the official account management platform of Yixin.

As I explained before, Yixin also published the official account management platform.

Last time, I explained the summary of this platform, but I would like to explain the use method of this platform today. Writing the conclusion first, their platform is very similar to the platform of WeChat, for example their function, operating procedures and so forth.

Login to this platform, and the following page is displayed at first.

The administrator of this platform can know the increasing history of the new follower and the receiving number of the information from their followers on this page.

The next picture is the management page of the information that the official account received from their followers.

The administrator can check that information by the period (ex. today, yesterday, 7 days, 30 days and so forth).

Next is the management page of their followers.

The administrator can set the specific user as a black list, and also can manage the followers by the category.

Next is the management page of sending the message.

The administrator can send the text, picture, voice, video messages via this page as same as WeChat. But there is an interesting function that WeChat don't have. That is a function of sending the event information.

By the way, the official account can send one message to their followers in a day.

These sending information can set on the following management page.

Next is the page of the advanced features.

The administrator can set the auto reply function on this page. And if they would like to be a developer of Yixin, they also can file the request from this page.

The last one is the settings page.

The administrator can set the icon or summary information of the official account. And Yixin also prepared the QR code of the official account, so you also can put this code on the official site and so forth.

According to the news, the official account number of Yixin already exceeded 6,000 accounts, and they are rapidly increasing even now.

Of course, the user of Yixin is also rapidly increasing, and according to the news, their users are averagely increasing 1 million people in a day.

But unfortunately, the company or organization that is not formally registered in China yet can't use this platform at this time. Because when filing the request, the number of business license is needed as follows.

About this, there is no other way waiting that they will start the overseas deployment.


Source => The official account management platform of Yixin, china.com

WeChat added the statistical information function on the administration platform for the official accounts.

As I explained before, Yixin published their administration platform for the official accounts, but WeChat also upgraded its platform.

The function that was added this time is the management tool of the statistical information, and the administrator of the official accounts can check the some information on there.

1. The fluctuate history of follower

The administrator of it can manage the increasing number, the decreasing number, the total number and so forth, and the administrator also can set the term of it.

2. User property

The administrator can manage the ratio of men and women, the using language and the regional distribution by each follower.

3. The number of times that the posting message was read.

The administrator can manage the total number of receiving messages (送达人数), the number of reading the message (图文页阅读人数), the number of open the link in the message (原文页阅读人数) and the number of sharing the message (分享转发人数).

4. Checking the activation ratio of each follower

The administrator can check the activation ratio of each follower, and he/she can understand the total number of followers who was posting messages, the total number of the posted message, the average number per a follower and so forth.

So it means that this function can make each administrator manage the active ratio of their followers.


I think that these management tools are very useful for the administrator of WeChat. But unfortunately, these tools were only added to the domestic version of the official account management platform, and these tools weren't added to the international version of it yet.

About this, we have to wait the action by Tencent at this time.


Source => The administration platform for the official accounts of WeChat

Yixin also published the management platform for the official accounts that is similar to WeChat. Can they differentiate with WeChat?

As I explained before, it can be said that Yixin made the good start. And as their second stage, they published the management platform for the official accounts that is similar to WeChat last weekend.

I cannot register the official account yet, so I would like to explain its summary today.

Their platform mainly has the four features as follows.

1. Customer service
2. Tools or APIs for the developers
3. Internal communications
4. Post the messages

The function of No.1, 2, 4 is same as WeChat, but the characteristic function is No.3. As I explained before, Facishare published the business version of WeChat, and recently a lot of companies published similar software in China. Furthermore I explained before, the companies who started to use the social media in the business scene is recently increasing in China.

So I think that the No.3 function is best choice for differentiating with WeChat.

And the client application of Yixin also updated at the same time as the management platform.

   

Of course, the latest version has the function that displays the official accounts like the above picture. Now the official account on Yixin is very little, and it's only exists a few accounts that Netease released. But it seems that some of them is very useful.

   


WeChat said that they wouldn't like the official accounts to use this as a marketing platform before, but how about Yixin?

We have to keep their action as ever.


Source => Netease IT, Official account management platform of Yixin

How to get the 460GB permanent space in the 'Baidu Cloud' without any charge.

As you know, Baidu is the most popular company who is providing the search engine in China. And Baidu also provides other solutions to internet users, and this Baidu Cloud is also one of their services.

To put it simply, it's the service it is like the Google Drive.

They provide the 15GB space to users without any charge, but if the user would like to get more space, it's basically needed suitable costs.

But now, they promote a campaign that Baidu give 460GB permanent space without any charge. *Of course, it is needed some process to get it :)

Today, I would like to explain how you can get it.

At first, you have to register the account of Baidu here.
And if you don't have a cellphone in China, you have to click the tab that is marked the red frame to register it with your email address.

After inputting your email address, the password and verification code, you have to click that is marked the blue frame to finish this registration.

If you successfully finish this registration, go back to the campaign page to login to Baidu Cloud.

To login, you have to click the green frame button at the upper right corner of the above picture. After you input your registered email, password and verification code, it means that you already got the chance to join this campaign.


There are two steps to get 460GB permanent space here as follows.

1. Download its Windows or Macintosh client, and after that, access to the Baidu Cloud from its client.

At first you have to click the icon of PC to download its client.
*The icon of the left side is client for Windows, and the right side is for Macintosh.

After downloading, you have to start its client, and have to login with Baidu account on it.  After that, you can find a popup that is written the button of "领取100G", so you have to click that button. That's all. After that, you can find that you already got its 100GB space.

2. Download its smartphone client, and after that, click the blue frame button.

This step is very simple. At first, you have to click the button of each smartphone picture that you usually use to download its client. *for example, the button of Android. After that, the action you have to do is only to click the blue frame button.

That's all. And you can get 360GB additional space.


Actually, this campaign has the three steps, and this campaign is named 1T (it means 1TB) one. But to clear the last step, you have to pay 1 RMB via electric money. I know 1 RMB is not so expensive, but if you don't have the account of bank in China or any payment cards like Alipay, you can't get it.

This blog has a lot of access from outside of China, so I said "460GB", and I explained the only two steps :)

Baidu Cloud is very useful to share files with people who lives in China. If you have an interest, let's get it!


Source => The campaign page of Baidu Cloud

Alibaba will also enter the battle of the IM market in China. They have a plan to collaborate with China Mobile.

WeChat already have about 500 million users, and Yixin also got the good start last week. So the IM market in China is becoming more and more hot, but it seems that Alibaba, who is the giant of the EC market in China, also would like to enter this battle by re-promoting their IM tool 'Laiwang'.

There are the two verifications for this.

1. Alibaba CEO sent the internal email to start the bounty system of using 'Laiwang' to the all of staff last week.
According to the leak, their bounty system is for encouraging to use 'Laiwang' to their staff, and it is said that the most potent person can get 100,000 RMB (= 16,210USD) bonus.

2. Alibaba started to consult with China Mobile the chance of collaboration in this market.
According to the insider, Alibaba recently started to consult the possibility of collaboration with China Mobile by this 'Laiwang', and it may be that they would like to follow the success of Yixin.


Alibaba already acquired 18% share of Sina Weibo on April, and they already started to accelerate their social media solutions. But they may would like to get the killer tool of IM to accelerate more this area, so I think that its action is very natural.

But its Sina Weibo also have their IM tool 'Meyou', and a company that Sina invested before also recently publish the IM tool 'WeMeet'.

Alibaba and Sina will go to the each way in this area, or also will have the collaboration as same as Weibo... We have to continue watching their actions as ever.


Source => TechWeb, BiaNews

Yixin also may get involved in trouble of their trademark right. The other company has already filed the trademark of "Yixin" last September.

As I said last time, Yisin has still had some system trouble, but it can be said that the start dash of Yixin was successful.

But the new trouble was revealed, it is the problem of trademark right. According to the news, a Beijing based company already filed the trademark right of "Yixin" last September.

Their filing category was also No.38 that was categorized as the communication.

The end of last year, WeChat also got in trouble in the trademark right. As I said at that time, the trademark right is basically preferred the earlier filing, so there is a possibility that Yixin have to change their name, or have to pay the royalty of this trademark right.

To make matters worse, in the case of WeChat (Weixin), the other company filed the trademark right of "Weixin" was only one week earlier than Tencent. Furthermore Weixin had been already a well-known word as a service of Tencent at that time. But in this case, the other company filed the trademark of "Yixin" in 11 months earlier than China Telecom or Netease.

Of course, nobody knew that "Yixin" is the service of China Telecom or Netease at that time. 

According to the news on June, the trouble of the trademark right "Weixin" also have not been solved yet. So we have to continue watching these two troubles as ever.

Source => ifeng, TechWeb, CNNB

Yixin still have some problem, but it was a good turnout. In 24 hours after publishing, Yixin got more than a million users.

Last time, I introduced about 'Yixin' that is co-produced IM tool by China Telecom and Netease.

According to their official information, it made a good start just after its publishing, and Yixin got more than a million users in 24 hours.

And Yixin got the 1st ranking of social category in the App store that night, and it also got the 2nd ranking in all of free apps on there.

About the other number, there were more than 300,000 pictures in its social feature, and there were 1 million times SMS sending, and there were 400,000 times voicemail communications.

Actually, some user said that its voice quality is much better than WeChat, and my friends or colleagues also said that it seems it's better than WeChat.

As I said last time, they have a target that they will get more than 100 million users in the six months, but they announced a new target that they will get more than 10 million users till the end of this month.

But on the other hand, it's true that Yixin has a lot of trouble with registration, SMS communication, voicemail and so forth. About these troubles, they promised to solve as soon as possible on their official account of Sina Weibo.

There are some mortifying things other than these troubles. It's the registration from the oversea. Now there are some difficulties in the registration from oversea as follows:

- iOS version of Yixin cannot download from out of China.

*It seems that there is the regional limitation.

- The registration of Yixin is needed the mobile phone number of China.

- The menu of Yixin supports only simplified Chinese now.

*In the app store, they wrote that it supports English and simplified Chines, but actually it seems it doesn't support.

About the Android version of it, you can download its apk file from their official site, but there are still remains the problem of registration and its menu.

About this, there is nothing for it but to wait their correspondence.

According to the news, the stock price of Netease increased 20% compared to before publishing Yixin. It can be said that their start dash was successful, so let's watch their action and the market response from now on too.

Source => DF Daily, Netease economy