China’s Tencent rebrands WeChat work app as WeCom ahead of Trump ban

Chinese language tech massive Tencent Holdings has modified the identify of its WeChat Paintings workplace collaboration app to WeCom, surroundings it up as a possible selection to its messaging app WeChat forward of a US ban.

Tencent, registered the WeCom trademark on August 19, in line with the US Patent and Trademark Workplace.

Two Tencent assets stated WeCom does now not fall beneath the scope of a ban on WeChat-related transactions in the US from September 20, one in every of a sequence of US measures cracking down on Chinese language tech companies and apps that Washington says are threats to nationwide safety.

Tencent declined to remark.

WeChat is an all-in-one cellular app that mixes messaging, social media, cost purposes and different products and services. Its so-called tremendous app is all however very important for day-to-day existence in China and boasts greater than one billion customers.

In the US, WeChat is extensively utilized by Chinese language expats and others to keep up a correspondence with buddies and colleagues in China. It has a median of 19 million day-to-day energetic customers in the US, in line with analytics company Apptopia.

After downloading WeCom, customers can now hyperlink their WeChat account to it and upload their WeChat contacts, a Reuters take a look at confirmed. WeCom customers can then message, create discussion groups, or even obtain digital cash from WeChat buddies with out their WeChat contacts having to obtain WeCom.

There was once no indication that Tencent has actively promoted WeCom in the US. There has additionally been no surge in downloads of WeCom in contemporary weeks, in line with Sensor Tower.

WeCom WORKAROUND

US Trade Secretary Wilbur Ross is ready to unlock laws via Sunday clarifying which WeChat transactions might be prohibited beneath President Donald Trump’s govt order.

On Thursday, the United States Justice Division stated Ross didn’t plan to focus on individuals or teams who handiest obtain or use WeChat to put across private or trade knowledge.

Tencent personnel in the US have traditionally used WeChat Paintings to keep up a correspondence with the corporate’s headquarters in Shenzhen. Tencent has no less than 250 US-based staff.

Trump’s August 6 announcement of the ban on transactions associated with WeChat brought about a spike in downloads of WeChat and selection apps via US citizens. A gaggle of WeChat customers has additionally sued to dam the ban.

The WeCom cellular app has been becoming more popular in China, the place downloads within the first a part of September rose 74 in keeping with cent from about 690,000 all over the primary 16 days of August. Downloads have been 158 in keeping with cent upper than the similar length a 12 months in the past.

However the app has won little traction in the US. New US installs to this point in September stand at about three,000, unchanged from the similar length in August and up from 1,000 all over the primary a part of September final 12 months.

Nina Wei, a Chinese language entrepreneur in Seattle, stated she used WeCom most commonly to hook up with trade contacts in China however hadn’t used it a lot lately as numerous initiatives had fallen aside amid deteriorating Sino-US members of the family.

She was once unaware that WeCom was once a possible workaround.

“I have never hooked up my WeCom to my WeChat but as I used to be hoping to stay my paintings existence and personal existence separate.”

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