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Amazon Invades Chat World to Compete with WhatsApp | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Amazon.com’s logo is seen at Amazon Japan’s office building in Tokyo, Japan. (Reuters)


Düsseldorf, London – Amazon Inc. has developed a new text messages app.

The new independent app, “Anytimes,” for text messages on smartphones, laptops, tablets, and smart watches will allow people to chat via texts and videos, along with sending funny pictures by using filters and enjoying games and interactions with other services from Amazon, like music and shopping, and communication with other companies.

Amazon has reportedly started surveying users about the new app, according to AFTV News which published a screenshot featuring details and information on “Anytimes” and some of its characteristics.

The survey’s description points out that the app allows people to communicate with others, through connection with other apps, like “WhatsApp” and “Viber”, without the need to know phone numbers, as the user can communicate with all his friends through their names.

The US e-commerce giant has also changed shopping behavior among Germans.

According to the German News Agency, the survey conducted by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) showed that over 90 percent of German shoppers use the internet to shop from Amazon. Around a third of participants explained that they spend more money on Amazon than in retail stores, which makes Germans among Amazon’s top clients worldwide.

PWC’s study, “Total retail sales 2017,” was conducted over 25,000 e-shoppers in 29 countries, 1,004 of whom were form Germany.

It found that German Amazon shoppers rank fifth after Japan, the UK, Italy and the United States. In addition, Amazon is no longer strictly used for shopping, but many Germans said they refer to the website as a browser to look for products and compare prices.