It is undeniable that the WiFi master key is fading out of the mobile Internet market, and the once popular trend of rubbing WiFi has become a thing of the past.
The success of the WiFi master key is inevitable. At that time, the traffic charges of the three major telecom operators were extremely high, and the money-saving users have targeted the WiFi in the public space, but many WiFi have set up passwords, and people want to break through this barrier and need to use the WiFi master key as a cracking tool, so the WiFi master key is just needed.
Under the support of consumers, WiFi master key has become the same national tool as WeChat and Alipay, and the number of users has risen sharply to become a fragrant feast in the eyes of capital, but the WiFi master key will soon be eliminated by the times.
The loneliness of the WiFi master key is the result of the development of the times and the progress of technology. With the reduction of the fees of the three major telecom operators and the opening of free WiFi services in many public spaces such as shopping malls, hotels, and scenic spots, people's dependence on WiFi master keys has also decreased, and the number of users has been decreasing, and the reputation has not been as good as before, and even fallen to the point of selling.
Recently, Sina Technology reported that 360 is in contact with the Shangwang network and wants to acquire the WiFi Master Key. In this regard, 360 companies and shangwang networks did not respond to rumors. However, whether the acquisition news is true or not, the WiFi master key is finally gone.
(Pictured from Canva)
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Riding on the wind of the times, wiFi master key has risen rapidly, creating its own growth myth.
In 2012, Nanjing Shangwang Network Technology Co., Ltd. officially launched the WiFi Master Key, and clearly pointed out that the mission of the WiFi Master Key is: to provide users with free, stable and secure Internet services. At that time, the market was in the stage of 4G networks replacing 3G networks, and the unstable network environment and high traffic costs made the WiFi master key that focused on free Internet access a hit.
In 2014, wiFi master key harvested 500 million users in two years, while Pinduoduo, which is good at fission, took four years and short video platform Kuaishou spent six years, and its growth rate can be described as amazing. Network data shows that as of September 30, 2014, the number of WiFi master key users has exceeded 500 million, and the number of monthly active users has exceeded 230 million.
In 2016, WiFi Master Key users have covered 223 countries and regions around the world, the number of users exceeded 900 million, the number of monthly active users reached 520 million, and the average number of daily connections exceeded 4 billion times, a record that cannot be achieved by many tool applications. At the same time, WiFi Master Key has accepted investment from many investment institutions such as BOC Investment, Si Dao Capital, Shenzhen Venture Capital, Cheetah Mobile and so on, and is growing day by day.
However, the WiFi master key that was blown up by the "wind" eventually gradually walked off the altar because the "wind" stopped. According to the August 2020 mobile app TOP1000 list released by Analysys Qianfan, WiFi Master Key ranked 16th with 329 million monthly active users.
In the four years of WiFi Master Key, the reason why the monthly active users have dropped by nearly 200 million is that privacy security issues have been exposed, and the other is that the application scenarios have become fewer.
The speed increase and fee reduction of the three major telecom operators is the beginning of the decline in the number of monthly active users of WiFi Master Key. Nowadays, all kinds of cheap traffic packages, speed packages and even unlimited traffic cards are emerging in an endless stream, and users do not need to worry about the shortage of traffic. And buses, airports, hotels and many other public scenes have opened free WiFi services, WiFi master key has become dispensable.
In addition, the awakening of public privacy awareness gave WiFi a fatal blow to the Master Key.
As we all know, WiFi Master Key works by "password sharing", but this "password sharing" is not "password sharing". The "password sharing" of WiFi master key is to use its own technology to obtain other people's passwords for sharing, which will cause the leakage of WiFi users' personal information and bring security risks to WiFi users who are cracked by master keys.
Not only that, sharing WiFi has brought problems such as network caton and network fees exceeding expectations, that is to say, the WiFi master key infringes on the private rights and interests of people who are forced to share WiFi passwords.
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Demand and trust are both reduced, wiFi master key users monthly activity decrease seems to be irreversible, and as an application tool, gradually lose the use value, the user monthly activity volume continues to decrease is equivalent to chronic suicide. At this time, the market also began to circulate the news that the WiFi master key was facing an acquisition.
On April 6, according to the exclusive news of Sina Technology, 360 is in contact with Sunnet Network to acquire WiFi Master Key. There are also sources who broke the news that 360 Company and Shangwang Network have been in contact for nearly half a month, but there are differences in terms of acquisition price and so on. Without wind and waves, the WiFi master key is valued by 360 company, indicating that it is still commercially valuable.
In terms of traffic, the skinny camel is bigger than the horse, and the traffic value of the WiFi master key is worthy of recognition. The mobile Internet market is in the stage of traffic scarcity, and the monthly active users of WiFi Master Key of nearly 300 million are higher than many application tools such as app treasure, ink weather, and even hot social platforms such as Little Red Book and B Station.
Perhaps the high number of monthly active users is one of the reasons why 36 companies want to acquire WiFi master keys, after all, 360's 360 security guards, 360 secure browsers, 360 antivirus and many other security product users combined, only with the number of WiFi master key users. According to the 2020 mid-year report data released by 360, as of June 2020, the average number of monthly active users of security products on 360 PC and mobile has reached 490 million.
In terms of technology, The parent company of WiFi Master Key, Shangwang Network, is deeply involved in the field of network security, not only investing heavily in but also setting up a number of internal research groups to actively carry out relevant technical research, and has achieved gratifying results.
According to public information, the WiFi master key has accumulated hundreds of national technology patents, including various network security, Internet computing and communication technologies, such as voice networking, VR networking, hotspot automatic switching, smart wearable device access and so on.
In addition, today, when the concept of "smart city" has entered reality, Shangwang Network has comprehensively laid out multiple fields such as smart city WiFi, aviation WiFi, and factory WiFi based on WiFi resources, further broadening its business scope and seeking new economic growth space. It is reported that wiFi master key has carried out strategic cooperation with upstream and downstream companies in the industrial chain such as China Telecom Love WiFi, Love Chongqing Hot Spot, Love Chengdu Hot Spot, 100 Meter Life Commercial Hot Spot and so on.
It should be noted that the exploration and layout of WiFi Master Key for "smart city" coincides with 360 company, so if 360 company successfully acquires WiFi master key, then 360 company's development in the field of "smart city" will be further improved.
The WiFi Master Key, which once grew at a speed comparable to That's WeChat, was widely spread by the news of the acquisition, and people couldn't help but sigh: it is difficult for tool applications to grow red.
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As a typical representative of the boom and bust of mobile Internet tool applications, the first problem faced by WiFi Master Key is customer acquisition.
Like the problems encountered by other Internet products, the traffic in first- and second-tier cities tends to be saturated and it is more difficult to obtain customers, and WiFi Master Key chooses to go deep into the sinking market of third- and fourth-tier cities to provide free WiFi services for users in the sinking market. Internet public data shows that the proportion of users in the WiFi master key sinking market accounts for more than 60%.
However, the user increment in the sinking market is limited, and like the users in first- and second-tier cities, the WiFi master key is not a necessary tool for users in the sinking market, and the number of users does not rise but falls. In this regard, WiFi Master Key has added products for short videos and information streams, in order to improve user viscosity and attract new users through diversified mobile services, but the effect is not obvious.
In addition, the wiFi master key is also suffering from the old monetization problem of tool applications.
The main sources of revenue for mobile Internet tool applications are advertising and finance, and these two monetization channels, WiFi Master Key, have been adopted. In terms of advertising, WiFi Master Key launched a "small advertising" platform for small and medium-sized businesses to provide advertising services for the majority of businesses; in terms of finance, WiFi Master Key is online with a shang wallet, as well as financial products such as borrowing money, insurance, and credit card repayment.
However, excessive advertising monetization has made the WiFi Master Key user experience worse. Users who just want to rub the net for free said that after opening the WiFi Master Key App, various advertisements came to the face, which made people tired of it. How to measure the standard between the number of ads and the user experience has become a new topic for WiFi Master Key.
In short, despite the user value and technical heritage, the WiFi master key has begun to decline. In the mobile Internet market, all kinds of technologies and products are emerging in an endless stream, leaving little time for the WiFi master key to make a comeback.
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