The first messengers appeared many years ago. Remember the ICQ app? It seems that almost all Runet users used it. Today, everything has changed, in honor completely different messengers – those that are installed on mobile devices. And Viber is one of them.
What is Viber?
Viber is an application for various platforms, including desktop and mobile operating systems, which integrates into the phone book and authorizes by the user’s phone number. What does it mean? After installation, you open the contacts on your smartphone and immediately see which of your friends uses Viber, that is, you can immediately start communicating with him.
Why do I need Viber? This is a messenger application that allows you to exchange instant messages, pictures or even videos with friends or make free calls over the Internet. True, you should understand that free calls are possible when connected to Wi-Fi. If you use mobile Internet, then your account may be charged for traffic that the application uses. However, given that traffic consumption is low, and many users prefer to use packet tariffs, there should be no unnecessary expenses.
There is the possibility of making calls to landlines or mobile phones, but this, as you can guess, is made for a fee.
Advantages of Viber
- Simple and convenient interface.
- Fast application speed.
- Low battery consumption.
- Excellent sound quality of the voice of subscribers.
- Instantly receive and send messages, as well as calls.
- Automatically add contacts to your address book.
- Lack of authorization.
- Many different additions.
How to use Viber?
Nowhere is easier. Install the application according to this simple scheme (for Android smartphones) and run.
Next, select the user, begin to correspond with him. You can use group chats.
History
The idea and application development belonged to the Israelis Talmon Marco and Igor Magazinik. The first version of Viber appeared in the AppStore by the end of 2010, and a few months later the application appeared in the Play Market. True, this was a preliminary version, which had a limit on the number of users. A full version for the Android platform was released a year later, in 2012. By August 2013, the app’s audience grew to 200 million users.
Until the beginning of 2014, the main shareholder was the Shabtai family, which owned more than 55% of the shares. Then the shares were bought back from all shareholders by Japanese billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani and his company Rakuten.