- MXit users can communicate with contacts across instant messaging platforms
- This will create a bridge between its mobile users and pc-based internet social network users
MXit’s 12 million+ worldwide users will be able to reach contacts across multiple instant messaging (IM) communities such as Yahoo, Windows Live Messenger, G Talk and ICQ, when it switches on its multi-platform gateway today.
This move, expected to attract millions of new users to an already massive user base, is a well-timed response to growing global appetite for social networking tools that are universal.
“For the first time MXit users will be able to send instant messages and connect with friends across the various instant messaging platforms, allowing the user to have a fully networked set of contacts at their fingertips. Our aim, as always, is to create a fun and user-friendly mobile social environment where users can create, communicate and share and we believe that the ability to converge social communities is an exciting prospect for our users,” says Juan du Toit, marketing manager of MXit.
The benefit of having a multi-platform instant messenger such as MXit is that users have the convenience of being able to chat with contacts across different instant messenger gateways, without the hassle of having to log into various IM’s or having to be PC-bound.
In South Africa, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger have the biggest market share of the fixed-line instant messaging market. The ability to converge communities on the MXit network will allow users to significantly increase their contact base, and, more importantly, allow them to communicate over multiple channels from their mobile phone. The evolution of MXit into a multi service instant messaging tool is also likely to increase the number of mobile networkers in South Africa because of its one-stop-shop appeal.
The creation of a multiple community messaging gateway is also expected to attract international interest. MXit, who already has over 2 million international users, has its sights firmly set on increasing its footprint throughout Africa, South East Asia and South America. The company, already internationally respected for being one in only a handful to successfully generate revenue in the mobile social networking industry, is now better positioned to take advantage of the global growth in the global social mobile networking market.
According to eMarketer, 800 million people will be participating in social networks by 2012, compared to 72 million in 2007.
“Our success is forged on the principle of listening. We listen to what our users want and then we make it happen. Demand from our international users led to the multiple community integration gateway and all existing users uploading the latest version of MXit, version 5.8.2, will have access to the gateway,” concludes Du Toit.
