Deutsche Telekom is reported to be considering a partnership with the OTT messaging service WhatsApp. In an interview at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Claudia Nemat, board member in charge of the operator’s European unit and technology, said that Deutsche Telekom was willing to team with WhatsApp in markets such as Romania, though not in Germany. However, she added that Deutsche Telekom was also looking to promote other OTT services, such as Jibe and Joyn, to target various demographics.

Tarifica’s Take

Facebook’s agreement last week to purchase WhatsApp has dramatically increased the potential power of the already-powerful messaging service company. With Facebook behind it, WhatsApp can extend its range and become an even bigger threat to mobile operators than it was already. Now operators such as Deutsche Telekom have even more incentive than before to pursue partnerships with WhatsApp rather than try to compete with it and lose.