Voice calling in WhatsApp's future

WhatsApp, a popular app for messaging and pictures, wants to add voice services to its app, later this year, announced CEO Jan Koum, Monday at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona. The app will compete with Skype, Kakao Talk, and BBM messenger from BlackBerry, when it enables its users to use an internet connection to call their contacts.

WhatsApp, with 465 million active users worldwide, will first introduce the voice service to the Android and iOS versions, followed by Nokia phones and BlackBerry. Facebook, who is taking over WhatsApp for 14 billion euros, wants to join with telecommunication companies, who can offer customers attractive rates for using the service. Facebook reported struck the first deal with E-Plus, a German subsidiary of KPN.