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Instant Messaging Applications Like the Internet and mobile telephony, the instant messaging market in Poland is growing very rapidly. The quick increase in the number of new users has been due to the undisputed benefits of instant messaging applications: accessibility and fast communication, as well as more competition on the market. In 2007, the market leader was Poland's own Gadu‑Gadu (GG) with almost 6 million users (April 2007). Skype came second with almost half as many users (3.8 million), followed by Tlen (0.9 million) and MSN Messenger. Since June 2007, Gadu‑Gadu has also been available to users in Ukraine, and a company from South Africa has expressed its intent to buy the technology and tailor it to local needs. Table: The Instant messaging application market in Poland - August 2007 Instant messaging application | Market share in % | 1. Gadu-Gadu | 42.49 | 2. Skype | 28.30 | 3. Tlen | 5.89 | 4. MSN Messenger | 0.99 | 5. AQQ | 0.93 |
Source: Own table based on Gemius Megapanel PBI/Gemius, August 2007. Companies are also using instant messaging applications more often in order to speed up and facilitate communications with customers and partners. Unlike e-mail, a modern instant messaging application enables real-time communication. The high mobility of Poles and the significantly lower cost of voice calls compared with traditional telephony contribute to the growth of multiprotocol instant messaging applications.
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