Video Editor: Cyrus John
With fake information spreading through messaging apps like WhatsApp, it is imperative that users are provided with secure platforms.
At the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2019, on Tuesday, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a government-owned entity has created its own version of secured messaging app called Samvaad that looks to offer features available on WhatsApp, to the enterprise consumers.
Speaking to The Quint on the sidelines of the event, C-DOT told us that the app won’t be available to the end user through Android or iOS app store, instead it will be made available to businesses, signing up for the platform through its sales channel.
C-DOT is also making sure that all the data, including those which are backed up to their server (locally hosted) will be encrypted as well. This is something that WhatsApp doesn’t do on Google Drive or Apple iCloud.
In addition to this, users on Samvaad are restricted from taking screenshots or screen recording, which is easily doable on WhatsApp.
The other interesting bit about Samvaad is, images and data can be shared only with the person using the app. This will ensure that messages aren’t forwarded to people on WhatsApp, C-DOT pointed out.
And last but not the least, Samvaad supports feature called ‘Vapour message’ which works similar to Telegram’s destructive message. This ensures, you can send a message on Samvaad and put a timer up to 15 seconds, after which the sender as well as the receiver (once he reads it) will not be able to see the text on the message interface.
C-DOT will be reaching to companies individually and offering them a trial period of couple months, after which, they will have to pay for using the messaging app.
Quite a few India-based companies have tried offering WhatsApp alternatives, the biggest example being the Kimbho app. But with C-DOT we’re hopeful that companies will consider Samvaad as the perfect replacement for platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack among others.
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