The Chinese internet giant Tencent has launched an app for video conferencing in China, after the popular US Zoom service was blocked by the Chinese government.
Tencent is already huge in social media, gaming, and venture capital, and the launch of its video conferencing service is seen as part of a move away from reliance on B2C markets and a push into B2B enterprise markets.
Market vacuum
The changes comes as the trade war between the US and China continues to simmer, with Zoom apparently blocked during September, in retaliation for US sanctions. The result left a vacuum in the local market that Chinese companies are now rushing to fill.
While Tencent already offered WeChat Work for video messaging, the new Tencent Meeting app apps to cater specifically for enterprise customers. A free version allows up to 25 participants to meet for up to 45 minutes, with the professional version allowing for up to 100 participants.
The app also integrates with existing Tencent apps such as WeChat Work and the massive QQ social media platform.
The move comes while the Chinese video-conferencing market remains underdeveloped but growing, with other companies such as Alibaba also competing for market position.
However, Tencent’s move isn’t just a one-off, but part of a multi-billion dollar re-orientation to serve China with business-specific services, such as cloud computing.
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