Meta Launches WhatsApp Cloud API, Targets All Businesses In The World

WhatsApp continues its business market by launching an Application Programming Interface (API) service. (photo: dok.whatsapp)

JAKARTA - WhatsApp continues its business market by launching Cloud-based Application Programming Interface (API) services to all businesses around the world.

Introduced into beta testing last November, the new developer tool is a cloud-based version of the WhatsApp Business API, the company's product that became WhatsApp's first revenue generator but is hosted on parent company Meta's infrastructure.

Messaging services are indeed increasingly in demand by business users, and WhatsApp is one of the few platforms where the company is frequently rolling out more shopping and business features.

Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, in his company event "Conversations" that this new service gives every business or developer easy access to their services.

"Building directly on top of WhatsApp to customize their experience and speed up their response time to customers by using our secure WhatsApp Cloud. API is hosted by Meta," Zuckerberg said.

The company has been building its API Business platform over the past few years as one of the main ways free messaging apps will make money, and to connect their systems and engage in customer service chats.

Businesses pay for WhatsApp on a per-message basis, with rates varying by region and number of messages sent.

Meta, which bought WhatsApp in 2014 stated that businesses would not be able to message people on WhatsApp unless they had asked to be contacted.

In addition, the messaging app with the green logo also plans to provide optional paid features as part of a new premium service for its WhatsApp Business users, aimed at small businesses.

The features, which are still being developed, will include the option to manage chats on up to 10 devices and customized click-to-chat links that businesses can post on their websites and share with customers.