According to DataReportal, as of the end of May 2023, Facebook of Meta Platforms has 2.99 billion users worldwide and remains the largest social network in the world. Vietnam with 66.2 million users ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest number of Facebook users. Additionally, with 2 billion active users, Instagram of Meta Platforms currently ranks as the 4th largest social network in the world and is also becoming increasingly popular in Vietnam.
Meta has identified Vietnam as one of the top 7 countries with a focus on telecommunications development (based on criteria such as total population, proportion of young population, smartphone usage, and 3G/4G subscriptions). With the largest telecommunications market share in Vietnam, Viettel is the only network provider in Vietnam that meets Meta's requirements for an A2P SMS (Application to Person SMS) service, a service that sends messages from applications to users. Viettel has now become a long-term partner, providing this service for Meta.
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Representatives of the two sides at the signing ceremony |
On July 18, 2023, Viettel Solutions and Meta signed a cooperation contract to directly connect the A2P SMS service with the aim of enhancing and perfecting the interaction channel between users and Meta's social network platform and OTT applications. This direct connection not only improves the quality of service but also ensures maximum security for the messaging interaction channel between Meta's social network and OTT platform and Viettel subscribers in Vietnam. With this service, social media users will receive messages from Meta, such as OTP verification codes and account updates, in an official, fast, and accurate manner, under familiar brand names like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc. This collaboration also allows both companies to leverage their human resources and technologies to enhance superior security measures compared to traditional communication methods.
During the signing ceremony, Mr. Pham Trung Kien, Deputy General Director of Viettel Solutions, stated, "This contract is a testament to our commitment to providing innovative and secure information technology and telecommunications solutions for customers in Vietnam. We believe that this cooperative relationship will be a good starting point for both parties to develop and expand cooperation models, such as A2P Hub, or enhance customer experience with two-way messaging services between users and applications."
Mr. Karan Khara, Global Managing Director at Meta, shared, "Our vision is to empower people to build communities and bring the world closer together, which aligns with Viettel's values. Vietnam has always been an important country for Meta. With its young population and high smartphone usage rate, Vietnam has the potential to lead the digital economy in Southeast Asia. Therefore, I believe that this agreement with Viettel will bring innovation, commitments to the market, as well as many other partner relationships in the future."
At the signing ceremony, the representative of Viettel Solutions also expressed the desire to expand cooperation to 10 markets of Viettel in Asia, Europe, and America.
Translated by Trung Thanh