ALTERNATIVE TO WATSAPP

  At a time when people are looking to move away from WhatsApp to a more secure messaging app, Chennai-based Software as a Service (SaaS) company Zoho has launched a made-in-India 'secure' messaging app called 'Arattai.At Arattai, they don't share your data with any third-party service providers. Your data is safe, as we have a strong focus on user privacy. Arattai is a cloud-based messenger and supports seamless syncing. You can access your messages from several devices at once, unlike with an app like WhatsApp.

The beta version of Arattai, which means to chit-chat in Tamil, was launched last week after Zoho employees began looking for alternatives to the world's largest messaging service.Arattai, which means chat in Tamil, is currently under a ‘friends-and-family trial’ release and will be launched formally in a few weeks, Sridhar Vembu, CEO of Zoho tweeted on Sunday. However, the app, which was under beta testing with employees over the past few weeks, is available for public download on both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. Google Play Store shows that the app has already seen over 10,000 downloads. 

Similar to WhatsApp, Arattai says it might ask you to provide personal information such as profile name, phone number with country code, address, usage data and other optional info such as profile picture and contacts in your address book. Usage data could include information such as the type of mobile device you use, your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of your mobile device, your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser you use and other diagnostic data,” Arattai’s privacy policy states.

Messages

Arattai’s messages are currently not end-to-end encrypted. Sridhar said that this feature is being worked on and will be introduced during the app’s formal launch.

End-to-end encryption means that neither the app and service provider nor third parties can access or read your messages. WhatsApp messages, for example, are end-to-end encrypted.

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        As per reports, Arattai is similar to any messaging app with similar features. It can accommodate about 1,000 users in a group chat and six people in video calls, as per a TOI report. Sridhar said in his tweet on Sunday that there is a lot more in store. The TOI report also states that Zoho is working on more features such as secret chats, payment linkages, managing expenses, among others.