Mobile messaging grows, monetization remains the challenge

Media | 09/23/2015 8:50 pm EDT

Mobile-messaging through apps in Canada and globally is on the rise as it attracts users wanting a convenient interface that can help them be included in social circles, though the steep growth in users is not yet being matched in dollars generated. Research from Juniper Research Ltd. released in June said messages sent via apps such as Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp, Canada's own Kik Interactive Inc. and others were expected to grow from 31 trillion last year to 100 trillion in 2019. Juniper said in another release in July that “within the next 12 months [instant messaging] will...

Kik gets $50M US investment from Chinese company

Media | 08/19/2015 4:03 pm EDT

Canadian chat-app maker Kik Interactive Inc. said Tuesday that it has received a $50-million US investment from China's Tencent Holdings Ltd., maker of WeChat messaging app. Kik CEO Ted Livingston said in a blog post on the company's website that Tencent is an ideal company to have as a partner. Livingston said "it was clear they understood chat deeply, making them a great sounding board. They had significant success and resources, allowing them to have the patience required for Kik to pursue a long-term vision for a chat-based ecosystem. And with so much of their focus on...