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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Viber launches business accounts for MSMEs

Viber launches business accounts for MSMEs

Published Oct 11, 2023 05:12 am

Rakuten Viber, a pioneer in private messaging and voice-based communication, has introduced a new set of commercial tools for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines to improve marketing and local users' access to other services.

Viber’s Chief Revenue Officer Cristina Constandache said on Tuesday, Oct. 10, that the platform introduces new tools to cater to the growing demand for personalized experiences among online shoppers.

The new commercial tools called Business Accounts for enterprises serve as the model for its free service for MSMEs. It offers a free, self-serve communications hub for small and micro enterprises as the platform’s first solution in enhancing customer interaction, inbound inquiries, discoverability, and sales.

New features for self-serve business accounts include; allowing businesses to create a public business profile; respond to customer requests instantly; discover local products and services through Viber search; store customer messages separately from personal ones; and add new products or services to their business page's catalog.

"As we expand our business portfolio, we are committed to tailoring solutions to the unique needs of businesses of every scale. Our mission is clear: to offer customized services for enterprises of all sizes,” Constandache said during the press briefing last Oct. 10.

“Our aim is to help these businesses to grow – for micro business to become small business, for small business to become medium business, and for medium business [to] become large business,” she added.

She said that with over a billion Android downloads, Viber has expanded its suite of tools to cater to the growing demand for brand-user interaction, enabling businesses to reach new customers, build loyalty, and drive sales.

The new self-serve business accounts, which are made available in the Philippines and Greece, may also be expanded to more countries.

In the Philippines, Viber saw a 34 percent year-over-year rise in the number of delivered business messages during the first half of 2023 and a 30 percent year-over-year increase in the creation of business accounts overall.

Soon, medium-to-large company accounts will have access to additional value-added services.

Additionally, the super app company intends to roll out services like voice calls, broadcast messages, and fast and automatic replies that will advance communications for small business owners.

Custom pricing plans meanwhile will be made available soon, based on market feedback to broaden the original offering of free self-serve business solutions.

Further, Constandache guaranteed that “preemptive algorithms” will be utilized to ensure that the self-serve business accounts will not be abused for their intended purpose.

"Later on, added verification will be enhanced as well because this is one of the most important steps we are taking to ensure that communication remains secure,” she added.

Viber Asia Pacific Senior Director David Tse also emphasized that Viber will also take action on mitigating scams within their platform to ensure a good service environment for their users and business owners.

He said that Viber seeks to detect any scams and is something they have to deal with especially since micro businesses are a lot broader. 

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