What is the new WeChat business account?

Can Tencent WeChat become company\’s internal tool?

We all know WeChat and its incredible number of users (some studies mention more than 600 Million-users at the end of 2014). This Chinese App has become a leading communication tool for personal use of smartphone owners. Initially famous for the release of the social App QQ, Tencent is now famous for its extremely rapid expansion. Indeed, the two billion-dollar revenue company has just released a beta version of a set of brand new WeChat features, targeting companies not for their online communication, but for their internal use.

WeChat as an internal corporate tool – WeChat new business account.

$\"WeChat$

The company Tencent seems very confident with the fact that WeChat is about to be adopted by multinational companies to improve employees interaction efficiency.

How?

Every kind of institution could adopt this WeChat new business feature, from the micro-entreprise to NGO’s, but also schools, hospitals, and multinational companies.

$\"WeChat$

What could be the benefits of using new WeChat business feature?

Tencent affirms this brand new feature, independent of “traditional distinction” between Service/Subscription account, could simplify management process, improve communication and collaboration between employees. WeChat new feature for business is supposed to be a “micro channel-oriented” feature, targeting companies and their staff.

Among the full range of features, below are listed a few things companies would get using new WeChat account for business. (This is currently a beta version)

1. Application customisation:

It seems Tencent have decided to push further toward customization (Flexible menus, Interactive elements)

2. Enterprise Directory:

Companies and their employees could manage more efficiently their list of contact, even for extremely large-scale ideas.

3. A system of tags:

We know it in Tweeter/Facebook. WeChat business account beta version also uses it.

4. Secret messages:

For security purpose, WeChat business account seems to be given an anti-forwarding system, as well as anti-screenshot, fulfilling corporate security requirements.

5. Classification efforts:

Tencent doesn’t bring that much information on their beta-related website, but apparently contacts, applications and interfaces would be fractioned to meet large companies requirements.

What WeChat business account concretely is?

For the moment it’s hard to realize the full potential of that update, but so far, we know that it has already been adopted (tested?) by China Mobile, Häagen-Dazs or General Motors regarding their Chinese activities.