Kik has announced the company (and popular messaging service) has crossed the 50 million user marker. Congratulations to them indeed. The only issue is their lack of support for Windows Phone. Those of us who have used the service on Windows Phone in the past have enjoyed a strong experience, but the company has no immediate plans for a Windows Phone 8 version.
For that very reason, we're being left out. Consumers on iOS, Android and BlackBerry are bringing out the bottles of champagne, while Windows Phone owners are left on the side. It's a real shame as we know many who actively utilise the service (we did until WhatsApp stepped up its game), and many were rightfully looking forward to seeing what Kik could bring with its new developer platform (building on its Kik Cards product).
This developer platform would introduce web apps, including games that could be sent, received and opened in conversations. This would help Kik differentiate itself from competing messaging services, as well as monetise the product. So what's contributing to the quick growth of the service, which launched in 2010? Kik CEO Ted Livingston said the following in an interview with Financial Post:
"Kik has become the number one way to connect with people on mobile. People use Kik to talk to people they know, like friends and family, but they also use [it] to talk to people they don’t know."
It's noted that the latter (the meeting of random strangers) is what's really pushing the service forward. Think Chatroulette, but without the visual nudity and on the mobile. There's also the fact that mobile numbers aren't used, in favour of usernames which is believed to have also helped build a strong following. The numbers are fairly staggering with an estimated 200,000 new users registering for Kik each day, entirely through word of mouth. It's just a shame they're not focusing on Windows Phone.
But with alternatives like WhatsApp and more, who needs 'em? You can download Kik from the Windows Phone Store.
Source: Financial Post
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