Recent reports suggest Samsung could soon begin rolling back its instant messaging service ChatOn in select markets.
According to a report from the Korea Times, the smartphone maker will start shutting off the chat service gradually in markets where its usage is low, while it would continue to keep the function running in markets where it has received positive reviews and reactions from users. However, there is no clarity in terms of the markets from which the service will be pulled and how many would still have the messaging service alive.
The publication has quoted a Samsung official as saying “Samsung Electronics plans to exit from the mobile messaging market from region-to-region as part of corporate strategy to restructure unprofitable businesses and improve profitability.”
“When you talk about total numbers, ChatOn looks competitive as ChatOn is installed in all Samsung smartphones. The key issue is that usability of the application is low and that means the volume of transaction isn’t that much,” the representative added.
ChatOn was launched back in 2011 as a rival to apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, Viber, BBM and Line on Android, iOS and BlackBerry platforms.
The messaging service allowed users to send instant messages and multimedia content to one another. With over 100 million worldwide users, the messaging service is currently available in 120 countries and 63 different languages.
Samsung is yet to confirm the report.
