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Viber

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Viber
Original author(s)Viber Media (Rakuten Inc.)
Initial releaseDecember 2, 2010
Stable release
Android20.4.3.0[1] Edit this on Wikidata / 2 July 2023; 13 months ago (2 July 2023)
iOS20.4.0[2] Edit this on Wikidata / 4 July 2023; 13 months ago (4 July 2023)
Windows20.2.0[3] Edit this on Wikidata / 12 June 2023; 13 months ago (12 June 2023)
macOS20.2.0[3] Edit this on Wikidata / 12 June 2023; 13 months ago (12 June 2023)
Linux20.3.0.1[4] Edit this on Wikidata / 14 June 2023; 13 months ago (14 June 2023)
Operating systemWindows, Mac OS, Android, BlackBerry OS, iOS, Series 40, Symbian, Bada, Windows Phone, Linux
Available inArabic, Albanian, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Ukrainian.[5]
TypeInstant messaging client & VoIP
LicenseProprietary
Websitewww.viber.com

Viber is an instant messaging and Voice over IP (VoIP) app for smartphones developed by Viber Media. In addition to instant messaging, users can exchange images, video and audio media messages. The client software is available for Mac OS, Android, BlackBerry OS, iOS, Series 40, Symbian, Bada, Windows Phone, and Microsoft Windows.[6] A Linux version is available for Ubuntu 64-bit.[7] Viber works on both 3G/4G and Wi-Fi networks. It first requires installation on a phone in order to work on a desktop operating system environment.[8] Viber has over 100 million monthly active users from its 280 million global registered users.[9]

History

Viber was founded by four Israeli partners: Talmon Marco, Igor Megzinik, Sani Maroli and Ofer Smocha, with Talmon Marco as its CEO.[10] Viber was initially launched for iPhone on December 2, 2010, in direct competition with Skype. A pre-release version for Android appeared in May 2011 but was restricted to 50,000 users; an unrestricted version was released on July 19, 2012. Viber for BlackBerry and Windows Phone devices was launched on May 8, 2012.[11] On reaching 90 million users on July 24, 2012, group messaging service and HD Voice engine were added to both Android and iPhone applications. Applications for Nokia's Series 40,[12] Symbian[13] and Samsung's Bada platform[14] were also announced on the same day.[15]

Initially, the voice calling feature was only available for iPhone and Android applications, with a promise that voice would be added in upcoming versions for Bada, Symbian and Windows Phone applications, with no mention of either Series 40 or Blackberry OS. The limitation seems to lie in the core of Blackberry OS and Series 40 which does not have easy support for VoIP apps.[16]

On September 22, 2012, HD quality phone calls and hold group-messaging sessions were made available for Windows Phone but only for Nokia users,[17] as part of exclusive partnership with Nokia.[18] Viber with voice was officially released for all Windows Phone 8 devices on April 2, 2013.[19]

In August 2013, Viber for Linux was released as a public beta[20] and in August 2014 a final version.[21] Initially, only 64-bit binaries were made available for download.

On February 13, 2014, Rakuten announced they had acquired Viber for $900 million.[22]

Company

Viber Media is a Las Vegas and Cyprus-registered company[23][24] with its development centers in Belarus[25] and Israel.[26] The company was founded by Talmon Marco and Igor Megzinik, who are friends from the Israel Defense Forces.[27] The company is run from Israel, with much of its development outsourced to Belarus in order to lower labour-costs.[27]

Founded in 2010, the company is co-owned by its four Israeli founders: Talman Marco, Igor Megzinik, Sani Maroli and Ofer Smocha, who have each increased their investment by over 30 times on the startup's $900 million sale to Rakuten.[10]

Marco and Megzinik are also co-founders of the P2P media and file-sharing client iMesh.[28]

The company originally didn't generate revenues, but announced it would start generating revenues in 2013 via a "sticker store". The company is funded by individual investors, who Marco has described as "friends and family".[29] As of May 2013, $20M had been invested in the company.[30]

Features & functionality

The actual functionality varies from platform to platform with iOS and Android being the first to receive new features. Viber includes text, picture and video messaging across all platforms, with voice calling available only to iPhone, Android and Microsoft's Windows Phone although HD voice is planned for Windows Phone 8.[31] The application's user interface includes tab bar on the bottom giving access to messages, recent calls, contact, the keypad and a button for accessing more options. Upon installation, it creates a user account using one's phone number as username. Viber synchronizes with the phone's address book, so users do not need to add contacts in a separate book. Since all users are registered with their phone number, the software returns all Viber users among one's contacts. The newest version of Viber (Version 2.3) has added smileys and other default images.

Viber is also now available on Windows and Mac OS X.[when?]

As of December 2013, Viber officially launched Viber Out, a feature that provides users the option to call mobile and landline numbers; thus Viber users can call people not using a Viber app. Viber Out was originally released in November only to help Typhoon Haiyan victims in the Philippines connect with their loved ones. To use the new feature, users have to visit the "More" tab and choose Viber Out. No update is needed for the feature.[32]

Languages and localization

Viber is currently available in 30 languages and locales, including: Albanian, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Ukrainian, and Urdu.[5]

Controversy

Concerns about the application's Israeli origin were raised by many bloggers in the Arab world, with belief that it may involve spying,[33] and believed that Viber collects users' critical information. These concerns were later featured by Al Arabiya News website,[34] referring to founder Talmon Marco serving with the Israeli army and having their development facilities in Israel. Later, in an interview with The Guardian, Marco stated that Viber was funded entirely by "friends and family" and that "We never took a single dollar from the state of Israel. We are not even incorporated in Israel. We maintain a research and development center in Israel and that's it (without a licence in Israel)."[29]

Hacking

On July 24, 2013, Viber's support system was defaced by Syrian Electronic Army. According to Viber, no sensitive user information was accessed.[35][36]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Android: Viber - Safe Chats And Calls 20.4.3.0". 2 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  2. ^ "iOS: Version History 20.4.0 Jul 4, 2023". 4 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Viber for MacV 20.2.0". 12 June 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  4. ^ "viber.rpm". 14 June 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Supported Languages". Viber. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Viber - Frequently asked questions". www.viber.com. Viber Media. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  7. ^ Viber for Linux
  8. ^ Viber Unveils Desktop App
  9. ^ After Rakuten acquisition, Viber reveals it has 100 million active users. February 14, 2014. Steven Millward.
  10. ^ a b אקזיט ענק: רקוטן היפנית רוכשת את וייבר תמורת כ-900 מיליון דולר Assaf Gilad 14.02.14, 08:27, Calcalist
  11. ^ Viber for BlackBerry® and Windows Phone 7 Now Available
  12. ^ "Nokia Store: Download Viber and many other games, wallpaper, ringtones and mobile apps on your Nokia phone". Store.ovi.com. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
  13. ^ "Nokia Store: Download Viber and many other games, wallpaper, ringtones and mobile apps on your Nokia phone". Store.ovi.com. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
  14. ^ "Viber for Bada - Free messages on Samsung Bada". Viber.com. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
  15. ^ Cooper, Daniel (September 11, 2012). "Viber comes to Symbian, S40 and Bada, adds HD voice calling and group messaging to Nokia Lumia handsets". Engadget. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  16. ^ Why Viber won’t have free phone calls on Blackberry App soon
  17. ^ "Viber for Nokia Lumia smartphones updated to v2.2, Adds HD Voice Calling". SymbianTweet. 2012-09-22. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
  18. ^ Cooper, Daniel (2012-09-11). "Viber comes to Symbian, S40 and Bada, adds HD voice calling and group messaging to Nokia Lumia handsets". Engadget.com. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
  19. ^ "WP8 Users Rejoice! Viber With Voice For Windows Phone 8 Has Been Released". Retrieved 2013-04-02.
  20. ^ "Popular mobile IM/VoIP app 'Viber' available for Linux". WebUpd8. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  21. ^ "Viber 4.2 Finally Released For Linux". phoronix.
  22. ^ "Japanese Internet Giant Rakuten Acquires Viber For $900M". TechCrunch. February 13, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  23. ^ Viber sold for $900m by Hillel Koren, 14/02/2014, 14:55
  24. ^ Viber - DMCA Policy
  25. ^ Viber - Minsk
  26. ^ Top 10 iPhone Apps from Israel
  27. ^ a b The Skype Killers of Belarus By Brett Forrest August 23, 2012, Bloomberg Businessweek, Technology
  28. ^ Talmon Marco's profile on LinkedIn
  29. ^ a b "Viber founder: 'People should be concerned about privacy'". theguardian.
  30. ^ Free-Calling App Viber Jumps To Desktop, Hits 200 Million Users
  31. ^ "Viber's HD Voice Feature for Windows Phone 8 "Coming Very Soon"". Retrieved 2013-02-06.
  32. ^ Crook, Jordan. 10 December 2013. TechCrunch. "Viber Officially Launches Viber Out, Letting Users Call Mobile And Landline Numbers"
  33. ^ "Israeli Viber is spying on you". UltGate.
  34. ^ "ما لا تعرفه عن برنامج المحادثات المجاني "فايبر". Al Arabia.
  35. ^ Crook, Jordan. "Viber Attacked By Syrian Electronic Army". TechCrunch. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  36. ^ "Kayako". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayako#History. Wikipedia. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |website= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
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