Welcome to our Social Insider newsletter, a morning email with the top news and analysis on the social media industry, produced by BI Intelligence.
LINKEDIN LAUNCHES A CHINESE WEBSITE: LinkedIn announced that it will launch a Chinese language version of its website. An English version of the professional social network has been available in China for sometime, but has garnered just 4 million users. LinkedIn is partnering with China Broadband Capital and Sequoia Capital China to launch the new site. “We think this makes sense to have our business grow in China, we need to offer a service that is local to create as much value as we can for its users," said LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner. (Re/code)
WHATSAPP VOICE CALLS: Messaging giant and new Facebook acquisition WhatsApp will finally debut a voice call feature for the first time in the app's history. Other popular messaging apps like Viber, Kakao Talk, and BBM already feature voice calls. CEO Jan Koum also added in his MWC address that WhatsApp has 465 million monthly active users and 330 million daily active users. (TechCrunch)
FACEBOOK BOWS OUT OF EMAIL: Anyone still using their @facebook.com email address will soon receive a notice that the service is being discontinued. Facebook confirmed that in reality this is a very small number of people. "Most people have not been using their @facebook.com email address," said a spokesperson speaking to The Verge. (The Verge)
WELCOME, SOCIAL INSIDERS: The Social Insider newsletter covers the day's most important topics in social media, as well as news exclusives of interest to industry insiders. We look forward to the newsletter becoming an important part of your morning routine.
Subscribe to BI Intelligence and get it every morning in your inbox. Please email BI Intelligence research analyst mhoelzel@businessinsider.com or BI Intelligence director mballve@businessinsider.com with news and tips.
WEIBO IPO: Sina, the owner of Weibo, plans to take its hugely popular Chinese microblogging social network public in the United States. Weibo's parent company is hoping to raise $500 million with an initial public offer sometime during the second quarter. The company has reportedly hired Credit Suisse AG and Goldman Sachs Group to assist with the IPO. (Wall Street Journal)
Here's what else BI Intelligence subscribers are reading …
Samsung Dominates The Global Smart TV Market
Audiences Worldwide Will Be Watching A Half-Hour Of Online Video Daily By Year-End
The Early Adopter Effect In Social Networks — Success Goes To Brands That Get There First
US E-Commerce Growth Reached A Six-Year High in 2013
Connected TVs Are Already In Two-Thirds Of U.S. Homes With Broadband Internet
'Reverse Showrooming': Bricks-And-Mortar Retailers Fight Back