Faktor Dominasi Platform Mobile Instant Messaging: Studi Komparatif Whatsapp dan BBM

Abstract

The shift in dominance of mobile instant messaging from BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) to WhatsApp is a significant phenomenon in the evolution of digital platforms. BBM, which initially dominated the market, experienced a significant decline with the emergence of WhatsApp, which was able to adopt more adaptive technological and business strategies. This study aims to analyze the role of technology adoption factors, business model innovation, and platform ecosystems in determining the dominance of mobile messaging apps. The method used is a qualitative descriptive approach involving a literature review and a comparative analysis between BBM and WhatsApp based on several key dimensions, such as platform support, identity models, onboarding speed, network coverage, infrastructure, adaptation speed, and revenue models. The results indicate that WhatsApp excels in ease of technology adoption, flexible business model innovation, and the development of an open ecosystem that drives massive network effects. The integration of these three factors is key to establishing platform dominance. This study concludes that the success of digital platforms is largely determined by the ability to integrate easily adoptable technology, scalable business models, and a broad, open ecosystem.