Zoho launches Arattai for Business: How it compares with WhatsApp Business after Meta’s new charges

Sridhar Vembu, the founder of Zoho, has announced the launch of the new messaging app, Arattai-for-Business, which will enable businesses to communicate with customers and employees. The announcement was made on Thursday, October 2, as Zoho expands its homegrown messaging platform beyond consumer conversations. In addition to the app, the company has also launched the Arattai Business Platform, which can connect business software and automation systems with Arattai.

Meta's launch follows the company's recent shift in pricing for WhatsApp Business, which will allow some utility messages, such as order confirmations or delivery updates, to be paid for from October 1. Zoho hasn't yet announced the commercial rates for Arattai-for-Business. It is offering certain free messaging services for government, healthcare and education institutions.

Arattai Business Platform to connect software and messaging

Vembu's press release on October 2 states that the Arattai Business Platform will enable seamless integration between Arattai and existing business software and automation solutions. This may enable organisations to leverage the messaging service within their current customer communication processes.

The platform will be available free of any cost to government and public services, such as the Railways, Zoho said in a statement. The company is currently developing such integrations but has not given a timeline for their availability, Vembu said.

“Arattai Business Platform is free for government and public services like railways. We are working on those integrations right now,” Vembu said in his post.

Healthcare and education get 1 million free messages

Zoho is also giving an allowance for use by healthcare and educational institutions free of cost. These organisations will get 1 million messages per month, said Vembu.

The firm hasn't publicly released specifics of pricing for other companies. It remains to be seen whether the various types of business messages will be subject to separate charges.

Arattai-for-Business focuses on Indian businesses

Arattai-for-Business was first spotted on the Google Play Store last month and is now available to download. The app, Zoho says, is “built in India and designed for Indian businesses.”

The platform offers end-to-end encrypted messaging, device and data-synced chatting, ownership, etc. It is designed to assist in communication within the organisation and with customers.

Arattai gained attention last year for launching an Indian alternative to WhatsApp and even briefly making its way to the top spot in Indian app stores. The word “Arattai” refers to casual conversation or chit-chat in Tamil.

The business launch has enabled Zoho to expand Arattai to organisational communication. It also allows the company to target companies seeking other options when the costs of traditional business messaging services are shifting.