Messaging service Viber hits 100 million active users

TOKYO, June 10 (UPI) -- Messaging service Viber for the first time released its active users numbers, registering 100 million active users and more than 360 million unique registered users.

"As usage increases, our priority remains the same -- introducing features, adding more platforms, and improving Viber with every new version," CEO Talmon Marco said in a statement. "This is exactly what we've done with the new Viber Desktop, and we're really excited for users to try it out."

Viber's users are spread across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, BlackBerry and WindowsPhone. The service released an update for its desktop app, which includes a new aesthetic and an increased focus on its popular stickers. Users can add colorful pictures to to their conversations from a sticker menu that can be docked to the side of the app. The app also has better video quality and performance.

Viber has worked hard to increase its presence across all popular platforms but still competes with services like WhatsApp, Line, KakaoTalk, as well as messaging services provided by the platforms themselves, including iOS and Android.

The messaging service, already an international organization, added two languages, Portuguese and Spanish, to its service, which already had English and Japanese.

Viber was purchased by Japanese Internet giant Rakuten for $900 million in February, an operation overshadowed by rival WhatsApp's acquisition by Facebook for $19 billion.