About QQ
QQ is also known by name Tencent QQ and is an established instant messaging software service with music, online social games, microblogging, movies, shopping and voice chat in the group like features.
The website got started in February 1999 and is now having a cross-platform operating system with a proprietary license.
The website also received the title of being the 7th most visited website in the world according to Alexa with a present rank of 8th position as of June 2018.
When was it started?
It was introduced in the market in February 1999 by Shenzhen Tencent Computer System Co., Ltd. in China under the name OCIQ but soon got changed to QQ after facing the threat of trademark infringement.
Its first start was as a real-time communication service which gradually got changed into new features including games, chatrooms, internet dating services and many more.
Looking for expansion they set out their goals on including two web versions; Web QQ and WebQQ Mini. The latter one is now discontinued the launch of Tencent Messenger aiming
at the business sector.
They also made a record in Guinness World Record for having over 200 million users online simultaneously in 2014. At present, they count over 899 million active QQ accounts on their list.
Do they charge for registration?
Initially, near about its early start, it was totally free but in 2002 they changed the rule requiring a fee for the membership.
This decision was further reversed in 2003 after looking upon the competition turning their point towards premium membership under which they allow and provide their users to get more features including ringtone download, QQ mobile, SMS sending and receiving with Diamond level membership aside from basic membership.
What makes them popular?
The brand is known in China to cover China’s largest internet community meeting various needs of users in communication, information, entertainment, financial services, and others.
It is popular in the workplace and also among celebrities to talk with their fans.
In the end, we can say it is a huge platform with one of the world’s largest active user communities which is successfully reinventing itself for the younger consumer with the marketer who wants to reach them.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tencent_QQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91FUb0gIYnY