WhatsApp in Business

1. References: Busyorders(2016). Retrieved February 28, 2016 from http://busyorders.com/ Rebecca Burn-Callander 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2016 from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/technology/11377447/Whatsapp-the-secret-weapon-for-small-businesses.html Statista 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2016 from http://www.statista.com/statistics/260819/number-of-monthly-active-whatsapp-users/ Technology and Our Local Society(2016). Retrieved February 28, 2016 from https://slate.sheridancollege.ca/d2l/le/content/260410/viewContent/4072575/View Vidhi Choudary 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2016 from http://www.livemint.com/Industry/vU55FbKdlz9vIfkxUb 0EoL/Facebook-tops-networking-WhatsApp-in-message-apps-in-India.html WhatsApp(2016). Retrieved February 28, 2016 from https://www.whatsapp.com/

2. The technology I had to choose was not easy, as there are so many technologies that changed or are changing my culture and society and are shaping it in more diverse and global culture such as facebook, youtube, internet, social networks, but I wanted to choose one which have had an impact on my society and culture as a whole and specially the business world is WhatsApp. "WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. WhatsApp Messenger is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and Nokia and yes, those phones can all message each other! Because WhatsApp Messenger uses the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your friends."(WhatsApp.com 2016).

3. The dynamics of our culture and society are changing and whole society is going through this change as a whole and one of the main reason behind it is the technology, it is changing how we conduct our day to day life and also the Business life.

4. I am an International Student from Punjab, India. I am a Punjabi and Punjabi culture has been an important part of my life. I was born in Punjab and went to school in Punjab as well. My parents were also born and raised in Punjab and I grew up in a Punjabi yet forward or modern looking household. I came to Canada for my further education. Being an Indian and belonging from a Sikh Punjabi family, culture had always been a part of our day to day life, be it our food, clothes, language, shows we watch, movies and songs. Since, I have moved from India to Canada for my studies, I have brought my culture here with me and feels proud of it and I am also happy to see other Punjabis living in Canada without leaving their cultural roots.

5. Relevancy and Importance

5.1. It is very relevant and important because the use of WhatsApp is massive and is being used on every platform, even in my society in India the number of users are soaring. "As of February 2016. As of that month, the mobile messaging app announced more than 1 billion monthly active users, up from over 700 million in January 2015. The service is one of the most popular mobile apps worldwide"(Statista 2016). One more reason WhatsApp is crucial in the success or failure of business is because we as people like to share new information, be it about new product, a facct or just news and One key app that has been widely used in my society is WhatsApp as it also mentioned in the report by research firm (TNS 2015) that "56% of Internet users in India use WhatsApp every day, Among India’s Internet users, WhatsApp tops the list of instant messaging (IM) apps."

6. How this is related to my society ? This is related because everyone from young to older people use this and not for texting purposes but to conduct actual tasks because everyone has it and serves an instant function. I am stressing on young and older demographics, because the society I come from, older people in general are not inclined towards technology and to see them get on with WhatsApp is amazing.For example, small business makes their own WhatsApp group to communicate the information with each other to do tasks on timely manner. People in the business of transportation contact with other members through WhatsApp on a fairly regular basis. The one incident that comes to my mind is that of my mother. My mother has her farm in which she owns cows and handles the milk production, Once she wanted to sell the cow so she told me to contact the person via WhatsApp and she told me to send pictures of cow to a buyer through WhatsApp and I have to admit it that I was very surprised with that kind of use of WhatsApp as I never thought that it could be put to such a diverse use in small business and this rightly points toward the concept of diversity of brain which is discussed in the RSA ANIMATE: Changing Education Paradigms by Sir Ken Robinson(2010) that diverse thinking in kids is highest and decreases when we grow but doesn't mean it finishes and my mother is a right example of it.

7. Reason why I selected WhatApp

8. Because it is an app which is not only popular within young people, but people of all demographics, from teenagers to young adults to parents and older people. This app is easy to use and its main function is to use send and receive text messages, photos, videos and calls and seems like that business has caught up with this app too and one reason why it is so successful is because it is easier to access and instant as said by fashion designer "Roberto Revilla, WhatsApp, is a crucial communication tool at his eponymous high-end tailoring business.Our clients are mid-to-upper level executives who are so busy that taking the time to respond to an email or voicemail is just not an option,” he says. “Receiving an instant message is better for them as it takes seconds to respond.” (WhatsApp: the secret weapon for small businesses. 2015)

9. Then it would have been difficult or time consuming for businesses and people to share information, tasks related data and it would have cost people and businesses to share files with their colleagues in their groups as well. Also WhatsApp is really being harnessed by businesses as now you can even order a pizza, buy grocery, book a ticket, recharge mobile through WhatsApp only, You don't have to go to any sites, or apps, businesses will contact and send you all the information and services through WhatsApp in a city of India as shown in this video by "Busyorders.com","https://player.vimeo.com/video/136012258."

10. What if technology like WhatsApp hadn't existed?