WhatsApp is coming after Zoom: ”WhatsApp today introduced screen sharing as its latest feature to enhance the video calling experience on its platform — taking on traditional video conferencing apps including Microsoft Meet, Google Meet, and Zoom as well as Apple’s FaceTime.”
Yet, I do not think this is significant as I am not sure I have used WhatsApp video in the last 6 months! So, Zoom should be fine. But what Zoom may not be fine is that WhatsApp Video may not be great to be successful. Yes, provided that it keeps WhatsApp users to stay within the ecosystem, that will do.
This is the new strategy in bigtech: you try to offer everything so that you can keep your customers, with the understanding that the most important product feature is that many people use it. Period, that is the job to be done.
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I used to use Dropbox but when Microsoft provided OneDrive which is not as great as Dropbox, but with its core features being bundled with Microsoft 365, I had to cancel Dropbox for Microsoft. WhatsApp does not want to lose any business subscriber because of screen share, and today it has that as part of the product!
In the industrial economy, they taught us core competency. In the age of bigtech, it is ALL competency because everyone is doing everything, if not now, wait for tomorrow.
The new feature, announced this morning by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg through a Facebook post and on his Instagram channel, will allow you to share your documents, photos, and even your shopping cart with contacts available on video calls.
First released for some beta testers on Android in late May, screen sharing on WhatsApp can be accessed by tapping or clicking the ‘Share’ icon. Users can choose between sharing a specific app or their entire screen. This is similar to how screen sharing works on typical video conferencing platforms like Google Meet and Zoom.
https://twitter.com/elviscumez/status/1689002707384930306
Comment on Feed
Comment 1: As technology advances and companies expand their offerings, the concept of core competency has shifted. In the age of big tech, it’s about all-encompassing competency, where companies excel in multiple areas and cater to diverse user needs. Adaptability is crucial in an environment where technological advancements and user preferences change rapidly.
Comment 2: I think this new development by Mark will eat into Zoom’s Obtainable and addressable market. Small groups would no longer have to patronize Zoom with the desire to evade Zoom’s 40mins access limit.
The fact that we have WhatsApp Web should give Zoom more worries. It would become a game changer if this innovation is made totally free, and like Google Meet, introduce premium access either in number of participants or duration.
Recording, storage, security etc would become some crucial elements that WhatsApp must consider if it desires to disrupt the market.
He who has the data wins always!
Comment 3: I’ve been using the screen share feature on my mobile for about a month now and I don’t think it’s such a big deal. I mean, what are the chances that I need to show someone my screen while on a video call with them.
However, I think the feature can make a reasonable impact on their desktop version.
Comment 4: “Interesting perspective, Ndubuisi! While WhatsApp may be targeting Zoom, it’s true that customer habits play a crucial role in adoption. All competency is indeed the hallmark in the age of big tech. Can’t wait to see how this feature develops.”
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Mark is doing his bit by being all over the place, before others eat significantly into his empire. All social media platform owners have the same mission: to keep you addicted to their platform as long as possible, and it is working for them…
The real liberation remains offline, nothing beats disconnecting from all these distractions once in a while, it is both enriching and therapeutic.