IHS Markit has recently revealed the leading mobile messaging apps and messaging apps with video facilities in Q2 2017.

WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, QQ and Viber are the top five messaging platforms in the second quarter.

Hike, a messaging platform founded in India, is in the 10th position based on the number of app users on its messaging platform.

Jun Wen Woo, video and mobile media analyst, IHS Markit, says that mobile messaging apps have an aggregate audience of more than 5.6 billion users at the end of Q2 2017.

Video facilities including video calling, advertising, messaging, live broadcast, group video chat and video content are vital for all messaging and social apps.

Asian apps including Line, Kakao and WeChat have the most advanced messaging app video platforms and business models. Japan-based app Line said video will be one of its three strategic priorities along with AI and connectivity in 2017.

An IHS Markit consumer study found that social and messaging apps were the most common forms of mobile video viewed by users in Europe in 2016.

What telecoms can do?

“The focus on messaging app video will have a big impact on mobile operators, many of which have looked to zero rate or bundle social and messaging app data, and operators must be careful in how they can choose to partner or compete with different video strategies,” Jack Kent, research director, platforms, operators & media, IHS Markit, said.

Mobile operators can enhance profits and deliver improved customer experience if they use LTE upgrades to underpin strong unlimited or zero-rated data offerings, according to the Strategy Analytics Service Provider Strategies (SPS) report.

Facebook recently announced “Watch” feature that underscores the importance of video to drive both engagement and revenues.

IHS Markit said WhatsApp will continue to focus on communications with monetisation coming through enterprise services for businesses to connect with users rather than traditional advertising or video content.

Social and messaging apps are investing in original mobile video content. Snap signed deals with US studios to produce original short form content. In Thailand, Line is involved in the production for over 70 percent of its content on Line TV.