Page 282 - The Digital Financial Services (DFS) Ecosystem

ITU-T Focus Group Digital Financial Services
Ecosystem

Figure 19 – Chat as a platform

As the screen shot above shows, Facebook Messenger pilots seem geared toward chatbots. Businesses on
WeChat emphasize the web style interaction, as shown in the doctor appointment example below:

Figure 20 – Doctor appointment example

I.4.3 Why are social networks emphasizing chat platforms?
Many social networks started as a chat service. For them, the platform approach is part of a monetization
strategy. Others (primarily Facebook) gain diversification benefits. For all providers, chat platforms are an
opportunity to take economic power from mobile OS providers such as Google and Apple.
#1 – A monetization strategy for chat-heritage companies

Many companies got started as a communication service (chat and/or voice). Examples include WhatsApp,
LINE, WeChat, Viber, and Skype. Monetizing the core chat feature is difficult as it is generally ‘table stakes.’
Accordingly, chat providers pursue other forms of revenue. For example, LINE, a popular mobile chat application
in Japan, generated $1.15B in FY2015 revenue from:
20
• Communication (sticker purchases primarily) = 23.9 per cent
21
• Content (in-game purchases primarily) = 40.9 per cent

20 LINE Corporation prospectus July 11, 2016; based on exchange rate of 105 Yen per USD.
21 Stickers are graphical images sent via chat typically as a surrogate for text. For example, a user may send an animated animal
showing a ‘thumbs up’ sign rather than replying back with ‘OK.’

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