2go Chat – Chatrooms & Dating
Developer(s)2go Interactive (Pty) Ltd
Initial release2007
Operating systemAndroid, Java ME, Linux, BlackBerry OS BlackBerry 10
TypeInstant Messenger, Mobile Social Network
LicenseFreeware
Websitem.2go.im

2go is a free mobile social networking and online dating service with in-app purchases, provided by 2go Interactive (Pty) Ltd currently based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Device support published by 2go in June 2013 accounted for approximately 1,500 different devices, among which were feature phones and smartphones, namely: Android, Blackberry OS and Blackberry 10.[1][2] The number of registered users reported by 2go in 2014, was approximately 21 million across Africa, 12,5 million of whom were based in Nigeria.[3][4][5] 2go Interactive has not issued recent publications of the current amount of registered users or monthly active users per region.

History

While currently based in Cape Town, South Africa, 2go was created in Johannesburg, South Africa, by a group of University of Witwatersrand computer science students, in 2007. Originally developed as a mobile website and a students-only model, it was intended to function as a communication tool among students for the uploading and sharing of the students' timetable, lectures, and rendezvous with each other.[4][6]

In 2008, two of the founders left, leaving Alan Wolff and Ashley Peter behind.[7] Under their management, 2go moved away from the students-only model by targeting developing markets in Africa.[4][8] 2go continued to grow, despite a lack of external investment, due to its focus on feature phones, which most African mobile markets consisted out of.[9] Over 7 billion messages are sent across the service each month, most of which within paid-for chat rooms using the platform's currency, GoCredits.[10] In June 2013, 2go for Android was released on the Google Play Store and in December 2014 had reached over 2 million monthly active users on Android.[11][12] The Android version influenced many design changes and additions which other platforms received in the v3.5 release.[13][14] 2go for BlackBerry 10 was released in April 2014.[2] The latest release was version 3.8.

2go has since declined in its popularity and has lost most of its users. Much of 2go's rise was as a result of the Java platform which was very popular in Africa and as these phones became less popular, it also began to lose its spark.[15]

The major reason why 2go failed was because they could not innovate fast enough to survive on Android which came all of a sudden.[16]

2Go simply could not innovate truly adding any new feature or even optimizing it well for Android. They merely ported its code base onto Android without developing anything new on that platform.[16]

Features

2go is a full featured feature phone instant messaging application.[4] Supported devices require Java and internet connectivity via CSD, GPRS, 3G or WiFi to operate.[17][18] Originally intended as a feature phone exclusive application,[4] versions for Android, BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10 powered smartphones have also been released.[1][2][13] 2go offers one-on-one and group chat services in addition to paid-for chat room facilities which makes use of the platform's GoCredits currency, which is also spent on games and other content.[19]

2go Fastlane – 2go added a new feature to the messenger called 2go 6.2.0 fastlane. From this fastlane, you get quick access to live Sports Updates, up to date news from Supersports and News24. [20]

Supported platforms

2go is available on a variety of mobile and computing platforms, each independently developed for the platform. These are:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "2go mobile social network". Archived from the original on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2014-01-21.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "2go - BlackBerry World". Archived from the original on 2014-06-07. Retrieved 2014-06-04.
  3. ↑ "The African Mobile App That's Bigger Than Facebook Nigeria - Ventures Africa". Ventures Africa. Archived from the original on 2015-01-07. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Monique Verduyn. "2go: Alan Wolff and Ashley Peter". Archived from the original on 2018-09-15. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
  5. ↑ Simnikiwe Mzekandaba. "'2go is Nigeria's biggest social network' - ITWeb Africa".
  6. ↑ "How two twenty-somethings built one of Nigeria's biggest mobile social networks". How We Made It In Africa.
  7. ↑ "SA's own Sergey Brin and Larry Page". Fin24.
  8. ↑ "2go founders able to spurn investors and ride growth wave". Archived from the original on 2015-01-10. Retrieved 2014-01-21.
  9. ↑ Kelly Levinsohn. "Social network 2go heads for smartphone users". Bandwidth Blog.
  10. ↑ "The importance of advertising on mobile, director of 2go IM service shares stats". Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2014-01-21.
  11. ↑ "Mobile messenger 2go now has 2-million Android users". Memeburn.
  12. ↑ "2go lands on Android". Archived from the original on 2014-06-06. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
  13. 1 2 3 2go Interactive. "2go - Android Apps on Google Play".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ "2go mobile social network".
  15. ↑ Kehinde, Iselowo Kolawole (2019-07-09). "The Rise and Fall of 2GO". Tekedia. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  16. 1 2 "TechNext Series: 4 Failings that Led to the Decline of 2Go - Technext". 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  17. ↑ "2go heads for smartphones". archive.today. Archived from the original on 2014-03-26. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
  18. ↑ "Gartner Says Annual Smartphone Sales Surpassed Sales of Feature Phones for the First Time in 2013". Archived from the original on 2014-02-14.
  19. ↑ "Understand the social networks ecosystem for effective adspend". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  20. ↑ "Download 2go Version 6.2.0 at www.2go.im". Archived from the original on 2016-01-24. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
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