Viber, a popular communication platform, recently reached a significant milestone by registering one billion active users. Along with this achievement, the company is expanding its business activities and aims to significantly increase its presence in the Czech Republic.
According to Atanas Raykov, Viber’s director for business development in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, the platform has millions of users in the Czech Republic and is growing at a rate of 15% annually. Viber has a total of 35 million users in Central and Eastern Europe, as reported by the company App Annie.
In an effort to strengthen its presence in the Czech market, Viber is looking to establish partnerships with content creators, influencers, sports teams, and more. One area of interest for Viber is collaborating with creators of virtual stickers, which users can send to each other. This business model allows companies and brands to publish these stickers for users to use.
Raykov also mentioned that Viber will be launching a service called Viber Communities in the Czech Republic within the next month or so. This service, introduced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, allows for large group chats where administrators can earn a share of advertising revenue based on factors such as group size and engagement.
Viber has begun forming partnerships in the Czech Republic, with its first public collaboration being with the television network Prima. Prima has created a Community account for its show „Štiky“ to keep fans informed about updates. According to Prima, the advantage of using Viber Communities is that post reach is not subject to changing algorithms like on Facebook and is displayed within the community.
Another area of interest for Viber in the Czech market is chatbots. The company offers access to its platform for chatbot deployment and is seeking partners to implement these chatbots.
Viber sees an opportunity to gain ground on Skype among everyday users, as Skype has shifted its focus more towards business use under Microsoft. Viber offers features for calling with Viber Out and Viber In.
In March of this year, Viber announced a partnership with the Czech company Gamee, which provides access to 70 games within the Viber platform that can be played directly in chat. Viber also offers other integrations such as Spotify, YouTube, and more.
Viber is part of the extensive portfolio of the prominent Japanese internet player Rakuten, which acquired the company in 2014 for $900 million. Rakuten, often referred to as the „Japanese Amazon,“ operates the largest e-commerce platform Rakuten Ichiba in its home country and has expanded its presence internationally through acquisitions and investments in companies like Lyft and Pinterest.
In conclusion, Viber’s expansion and strategic partnerships in the Czech Republic demonstrate the platform’s commitment to growth and innovation in the region. With a focus on content creators, influencers, and new services like Viber Communities, Viber aims to enhance user engagement and solidify its position in the market.