Today, it was announced that it is launching the WhatsApp CloudAPI to all businesses worldwide. The new developer tool is a cloud-based version of the WhatsApp BusinessAPI, but is hosted on Meta's infrastructure.
The company had been building out its BusinessAPI platform over the past several years as one of the key ways it would make money. Businesses pay on a per-message basis, with rates that vary based on the region and number of messages sent. The non-cloud-based version of the BusinessAPI was used by tens of thousands of businesses, including brands like BMW, Royal Dutch Airlines, and Itau Brazil. The free version of the API is on-premise.
The company said that the cloud-based version was designed to attract a market of smaller businesses and reduce integration time from weeks to minutes. It's also free.
Businesses integrate the app with their systems, where it is just one part of their messaging and communication strategy. They may want to send their messages to other people. Businesses would usually work with a solutions provider to facilitate these integrations. Take in Brazil, and MessageBird were among the providers that took part in the cloud testing.
The public availability of the cloud-based platform was announced during the live event.
Business experiences meet people where they are. Every week, more than one billion users connect with a business account on our messaging services. They are reaching out for help, to find products and services, and to buy anything from big-ticket items to everyday goods. He said that he was excited to announce that they were opening the service to any business of any size around the world.
He said the company believes the new API will help businesses connect with more people.
Meta says it will help businesses and developers get set up faster than with the on-premise version by helping them eliminate costly server expenses and giving them quick access to new features as they arrive.
Some businesses may choose to use the dedicated app instead of the API. Smaller businesses that want to establish an official presence on the service and connect with customers can use the app. It provides a set of features that wouldn't be available to users of the freeWhatsApp messaging app.
The ability to manage chats across up to 10 devices is one of the new power features that will be offered for a fee by Meta. Businesses will be able to attract customers across their online presence with the new click-to-chat links that will be provided by the company.
These will be a part of a Premium service. Pricing will be announced at a later date.
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