 "Free calls app Viber at 90 mn users, adds group messaging feature")
Smartphone app Viber which has stormed on to the mobile scene, challenging services like Skype and WhatsApp, has announced version 2.2 of its popular call services. Offering free calls and free messages, the service has also hit 90 million users across the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows operating systems.
In a statement the company said it had added 20 million users in just over two months. Those users are now spending more than 1.5 billion minutes on calls and sending over two billion text messages each month.
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The Viber update is available for Android, iOS and BlackBerry beta[/caption]
And with its new group messaging feature available on iOS, Android and BlackBerry beta, this number is only set to grow further.
The move, according to tech site TheNextWeb , means that Viber isn’t challenging services like Skype, iMessage and WhatsApp anymore, but also group messaging tools like GroupMe, CloudTalk, Celly, textPlus and Reach Alert, among others.
The new update also promises better call quality and various user interface enhancements. The update for Android also includes support for nine new languages with additional languages “coming very soon” for all Viber-supported platforms.
According to the Giga Om website , “Viber’s fast growth will only ratchet up fears that users will reduce their dependence on voice and texting plans. It’s going to force carriers to get creative with pricing, something we’re seeing with the new shared family plans from Verizon and AT&T.”