Tencent Holdings
Encyclopedia
Tencent Holdings Limited is a publicly owned
holding company
whose subsidiaries provide Internet and mobile phone value-added service
s and operate online advertising
services in the People's Republic of China
. Its headquarters are in Nanshan District
, Shenzhen
.
Tencent's diverse services include social network
s, web portal
s, e-commerce, and multiplayer online game
s. It operates the well-known instant messenger Tencent QQ
and runs one of the largest web portal
s in China
, QQ.com.
As of December 31, 2010, there were 647.6 million active Tencent QQ
IM user accounts, making Tencent QQ
the world's largest online community. The number of simultaneously online QQ accounts has sometimes exceeded 100 million.
As of November 2010, the company is the third largest Internet company in the world behind Google
and Amazon
with a market capitalization of US$38 billion. Other big, Chinese Internet companies include Sina and Baidu
.
ists. It remained unprofitable for the first three years.
South African Naspers
purchased a 46% share of the company in 2001 (as of 2010, they own 35%). It was during these early years that Tencent's messenger product had its name changed from OICQ to QQ; this was said to be due to a (apocryphal) lawsuit from ICQ
itself. Others say American Internet company AOL
, not ICQ, requested the name change. Tencent Holding Ltd was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
on 16 June 2004, and was added as a Hang Seng Index Constituent Stock in 2008.
The company originally derived income solely from advertising and premium users of QQ, who pay monthly fees to receive added extras. But by 2005, charging for use of QQ mobile, its cellular value-added service
, and licensing its iconic penguin character, which can be found on snack food and clothing, had also become income generators. And, more recently, Tencent has seen profit from sale of virtual good
s.
While Tencent's services have included online gaming since 2004, around 2007-2008 it rapidly increased its offerings by licensing South Korean games. At least two, Cross Fire and Dungeon and Fighter, were originally produced for Tencent by South Korean game developers, but the company now makes its own games. Games have expanded the number of outlets for virtual good sales.
in the Cayman Islands
.
: shí fēn). The first character 十 (shí) is the number 10. The second character 分 (fēn) is a measurement that can be used to represent one cent, where one 分 (fēn) is a one-hundredth subdivision of one yuan
. The word 分 (fēn) traditionally refers to 1/10 of something, and is used in common Chinese phrases like "十分" to describe 100%, perfection, or "very". For example, "十分强大" (shí fēn qiáng dà) would translate to "very powerful".
However, the Chinese name for the company is not "十分" (Pinyin
: shí fēn). Instead, it is a loose transliteration
of "Tencent": 腾讯 (Pinyin
: téng xùn). In Chinese it means, roughly, "galloping message".
, IM client, social networking sites, and for mobile phones. Income from the sale of virtual goods was a large proportion of Tencent's revenue in 2009. And the sort of games Tencent makes will see increasing popularity throughout the next few years.
Tencent's online currency, Q Coins, can be used to purchase virtual goods. These range from the offbeat, such as virtual pets and the virtual clothing, jewelry and cosmetics needed to customize online-game avatar
s, to the more mundane, such as more storage space, wallpapers, bigger photo albums and ring tones.
s and businesses as customers.
, Wang Zhidong, has said, "Pony Ma is a notorious king of copying." Jack Ma
of Alibaba Group, has stated, "The problem in Tencent is no innovation. All things are copies."
As of 2009, the company held 400 patents.
platforms in its home market. While the IM service is free, a fee is charged for mobile messaging.
QQ International:
The first English version of QQ is launched in 2009. QQ International is available in 6 languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Korean and Japanese. QQ international is fully compatible with Windows XP, Vista, Mac OSX and iPhone.
iTQQ:
China's first "smart interactive television service" and a joint effort with TCL
.
Longhaier:
A joint effort with Globe7 HK Ltd, a subsidiary of India's
Northgate Technologies, Longhaier is a student-oriented social networking site for the Chinese market. The site includes forums, campus information, games and other interactive Web applications, as well as information on study abroad, job placement and scholarship opportunities.
Multiplayer online games:
Tencent offers a number of online, multiplayer games through its game portal QQ Games
.
These massively multiplayer online game
s include Dungeon & Fighter, a side-scrolling online fighting game; QQ Fantasy, a 2D online game that incorporates elements from Chinese mythology; Xunxian, a 3D, online RPG
; QQ Three Kingdoms
, an online casual role playing game set during the historical three kingdoms period; QQ Huaxia, an online RPG; QQ Dancer, an online musical dancing game that offers QQ IM interactivity; QQ Nanaimo, an online game set on a desert island where players maintain houses and pets; QQ Speed, a casual online racing game; QQ R2Beat, an online in-line skating game; QQ Tang, an "advanced casual game" with gameplay derived from Chinese literature; QQ PET, a QQ IM-based desktop virtual pet game and two online first-person shooter
s; Cross Fire and AVA.
PaiPai.com:
Launched on March 13, 2006, it is a C2C
auction site.
QQLive:
A peer-to-peer
distribution platform for streaming media.
QQ Show:
An avatar-based social platform like Cyworld
, QQ show's avatar design system allows purchase of virtual goods to outfit avatar
s, which can also be used with QQ IM.
QQ Player:
In 2008, Tencent released a media player, available for free download, under the name QQ Player.
Qzone:
A social networking service and, as of 2008, the largest in China.
SOSO:
Launched in March 2006, this search engine's name sounds like "搜搜", or "search search" in Chinese. It was a Chinese partner of Google
, using AdWords
.
Tencent Traveler:
Abbreviated "TT", this web browser
developed by Tencent is based on the Trident
and was the third most-used browser in China.
Tencent Weibo:
A Chinese microblogging
service, Tencent Weibo competes with Sina Weibo
.
TenPay:
An online payment system similar to PayPal
, it supports B2B
, B2C and C2C
payments. In some Chinese cities individuals can use TenPay for utility payments and to refill their public transport cards. Co-branded credit cards are available, and credit card bills can also be paid using the service. Offline recharging of your TenPay account is possible, as the company sends employees to collect customer money in person.
, and nearly twenty subsidiaries in all.
. It also holds a number of patents related to instant messaging and massively multiplayer online game
gaming.
, Shenzhen
. Other sites include a 48,000 square meter compound that houses an R&D center in the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, a data and R&D center in Tianjin's Binhai Service Outsourcing Industry Park that is expected to be finished by June 2013, and also some 17,646 square meters of Shanghai office space purchased through a subsidiary, Tencent Cyber (Tianjin), and located in the Shanghai Modern Technology Services Community Zone.
Public company
This is not the same as a Government-owned corporation.A public company or publicly traded company is a limited liability company that offers its securities for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets...
holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
whose subsidiaries provide Internet and mobile phone value-added service
Value-added service
A value-added service is popular as a telecommunications industry term for non-core services, or in short, all services beyond standard voice calls and fax transmissions. However, it can be used in any service industry, for services available at little or no cost, to promote their primary business...
s and operate online advertising
Online advertising
Online advertising is a form of promotion that uses the Internet and World Wide Web to deliver marketing messages to attract customers. Examples of online advertising include contextual ads on search engine results pages, banner ads, blogs, Rich Media Ads, Social network advertising, interstitial...
services in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Its headquarters are in Nanshan District
Nanshan District, Shenzhen
Nanshan District is one of the seven districts comprising Shenzhen. It encompasses the southwest area of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, with a population of 0.9 million...
, Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
.
Tencent's diverse services include social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
s, web portal
Web portal
A web portal or links page is a web site that functions as a point of access to information in the World Wide Web. A portal presents information from diverse sources in a unified way....
s, e-commerce, and multiplayer online game
Multiplayer online game
A Multiplayer Online Game is a multiplayer video game which can be played via a game server over the internet, with other players around the world...
s. It operates the well-known instant messenger Tencent QQ
Tencent QQ
Tencent QQ, generally referred to as QQ, is the most popular free instant messaging computer program in mainland China. As of July 11, 2011, the active QQ users accounts for QQ IM totaled 812.3 million, possibly making it the world's second largest online community. The number of simultaneous...
and runs one of the largest web portal
Web portal
A web portal or links page is a web site that functions as a point of access to information in the World Wide Web. A portal presents information from diverse sources in a unified way....
s in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, QQ.com.
As of December 31, 2010, there were 647.6 million active Tencent QQ
Tencent QQ
Tencent QQ, generally referred to as QQ, is the most popular free instant messaging computer program in mainland China. As of July 11, 2011, the active QQ users accounts for QQ IM totaled 812.3 million, possibly making it the world's second largest online community. The number of simultaneous...
IM user accounts, making Tencent QQ
Tencent QQ
Tencent QQ, generally referred to as QQ, is the most popular free instant messaging computer program in mainland China. As of July 11, 2011, the active QQ users accounts for QQ IM totaled 812.3 million, possibly making it the world's second largest online community. The number of simultaneous...
the world's largest online community. The number of simultaneously online QQ accounts has sometimes exceeded 100 million.
As of November 2010, the company is the third largest Internet company in the world behind Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
and Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
with a market capitalization of US$38 billion. Other big, Chinese Internet companies include Sina and Baidu
Baidu
Baidu, Inc. , simply known as Baidu and incorporated on January 18, 2000, is a Chinese web services company headquartered in the Baidu Campus in Haidian District, Beijing, People's Republic of China....
.
History
Tencent was founded by Ma Huateng and Zhang Zhidong in November 1998 as Tencent Inc, with money from venture capitalVenture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
ists. It remained unprofitable for the first three years.
South African Naspers
Naspers
Naspers is a South Africa-based multinational media company with principal operations in electronic media and print media Naspers is a South Africa-based multinational media company with principal operations in electronic media (including pay-television, internet and instant-messaging subscriber...
purchased a 46% share of the company in 2001 (as of 2010, they own 35%). It was during these early years that Tencent's messenger product had its name changed from OICQ to QQ; this was said to be due to a (apocryphal) lawsuit from ICQ
ICQ
ICQ is an instant messaging computer program, which was first developed and popularized by the Israeli company Mirabilis, then bought by America Online, and since April 2010 owned by Mail.ru Group. The name ICQ is a homophone for the phrase "I seek you"...
itself. Others say American Internet company AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
, not ICQ, requested the name change. Tencent Holding Ltd was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in Hong Kong. It is Asia's third largest stock exchange in terms of market capitalization behind the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange and fifth largest in the world...
on 16 June 2004, and was added as a Hang Seng Index Constituent Stock in 2008.
The company originally derived income solely from advertising and premium users of QQ, who pay monthly fees to receive added extras. But by 2005, charging for use of QQ mobile, its cellular value-added service
Value-added service
A value-added service is popular as a telecommunications industry term for non-core services, or in short, all services beyond standard voice calls and fax transmissions. However, it can be used in any service industry, for services available at little or no cost, to promote their primary business...
, and licensing its iconic penguin character, which can be found on snack food and clothing, had also become income generators. And, more recently, Tencent has seen profit from sale of virtual good
Virtual good
Virtual goods are non-physical objects purchased for use in online communities or online games. They have no intrinsic value and are intangible by definition....
s.
While Tencent's services have included online gaming since 2004, around 2007-2008 it rapidly increased its offerings by licensing South Korean games. At least two, Cross Fire and Dungeon and Fighter, were originally produced for Tencent by South Korean game developers, but the company now makes its own games. Games have expanded the number of outlets for virtual good sales.
Incorporation
Tencent Holdings Ltd is incorporatedIncorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
in the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
.
Name
The name "Tencent" is derived from the Chinese phrase "十分" (PinyinPinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: shí fēn). The first character 十 (shí) is the number 10. The second character 分 (fēn) is a measurement that can be used to represent one cent, where one 分 (fēn) is a one-hundredth subdivision of one yuan
Chinese yuan
The yuan is the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The yuan is the primary unit of account of the Renminbi.A yuán is also known colloquially as a kuài . One yuán is divided into 10 jiǎo or colloquially máo...
. The word 分 (fēn) traditionally refers to 1/10 of something, and is used in common Chinese phrases like "十分" to describe 100%, perfection, or "very". For example, "十分强大" (shí fēn qiáng dà) would translate to "very powerful".
However, the Chinese name for the company is not "十分" (Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: shí fēn). Instead, it is a loose transliteration
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
of "Tencent": 腾讯 (Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: téng xùn). In Chinese it means, roughly, "galloping message".
Virtual goods
Tencent sells virtual goods for use in their MMOsMassively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
, IM client, social networking sites, and for mobile phones. Income from the sale of virtual goods was a large proportion of Tencent's revenue in 2009. And the sort of games Tencent makes will see increasing popularity throughout the next few years.
Tencent's online currency, Q Coins, can be used to purchase virtual goods. These range from the offbeat, such as virtual pets and the virtual clothing, jewelry and cosmetics needed to customize online-game avatar
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
s, to the more mundane, such as more storage space, wallpapers, bigger photo albums and ring tones.
Products and services
Tencent offers a diverse mix of services and includes both consumerConsumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
s and businesses as customers.
Copying claims
Many of Tencent's software and services are remarkably similar to those of competitors. The founder and chairman, Huateng "Pony Ma" Ma, has famously said, "[To] copy is not evil." Competitors are quick to denigrate. A former CEO and President of SINA.comSINA.com
SINA is an online media company for China and Chinese communities around the world. SINA operates four major business lines: Sina Weibo, SINA Mobile, SINA Online, and SINA.net. SINA has over 100 million registered users worldwide...
, Wang Zhidong, has said, "Pony Ma is a notorious king of copying." Jack Ma
Jack Ma
Jack Ma is founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Alibaba Group and chairman of Alibaba.com, the Hong Kong-listed unit of Alibaba Group.-Early life:...
of Alibaba Group, has stated, "The problem in Tencent is no innovation. All things are copies."
As of 2009, the company held 400 patents.
QQ instant messenger
Launched in February 1999, and Tencent's most notable product, QQ is one of the most popular instant messagingInstant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
platforms in its home market. While the IM service is free, a fee is charged for mobile messaging.
QQ International:
The first English version of QQ is launched in 2009. QQ International is available in 6 languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Korean and Japanese. QQ international is fully compatible with Windows XP, Vista, Mac OSX and iPhone.
iTQQ:
China's first "smart interactive television service" and a joint effort with TCL
TCL Corporation
TCL Corporation is a multinational electronics company headquartered in Huizhou, Guangdong, China. In 2010 it was the world's 25th-largest consumer electronics producer and sixth-largest television producer .TCL comprises three listed companies: TCL Corporation , which is listed on the Shenzhen...
.
Longhaier:
A joint effort with Globe7 HK Ltd, a subsidiary of India's
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Northgate Technologies, Longhaier is a student-oriented social networking site for the Chinese market. The site includes forums, campus information, games and other interactive Web applications, as well as information on study abroad, job placement and scholarship opportunities.
Multiplayer online games:
Tencent offers a number of online, multiplayer games through its game portal QQ Games
QQ Games
QQ Games is a casual games client, offering only multi-player online games. Games are available through the QQ Games client and are entirely free to play. Partnering with AOL Instant Messenger through the AIM Plugin Gallery, AIM version 6.5 and up comes bundled with QQ Games...
.
These massively multiplayer online game
Massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
s include Dungeon & Fighter, a side-scrolling online fighting game; QQ Fantasy, a 2D online game that incorporates elements from Chinese mythology; Xunxian, a 3D, online RPG
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
; QQ Three Kingdoms
QQ Sanguo
QQ Sanguo is a free, Chinese, MMO game that was created by Tencent Holdings Ltd. The game is based on the three kingdoms historical period. The aim of the game is to gain experience and level up, making it a role-playing game. A QQ account is needed to play....
, an online casual role playing game set during the historical three kingdoms period; QQ Huaxia, an online RPG; QQ Dancer, an online musical dancing game that offers QQ IM interactivity; QQ Nanaimo, an online game set on a desert island where players maintain houses and pets; QQ Speed, a casual online racing game; QQ R2Beat, an online in-line skating game; QQ Tang, an "advanced casual game" with gameplay derived from Chinese literature; QQ PET, a QQ IM-based desktop virtual pet game and two online first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
s; Cross Fire and AVA.
PaiPai.com:
Launched on March 13, 2006, it is a C2C
Consumer-to-consumer
Consumer-to-consumer electronic commerce involves the electronically facilitated transactions between consumers through some third party. A common example is the online auction, in which a consumer posts an item for sale and other consumers bid to purchase it; the third party generally charges a...
auction site.
QQLive:
A peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
distribution platform for streaming media.
QQ Show:
An avatar-based social platform like Cyworld
Cyworld
Cyworld is a South Korean social network service operated by SK Communications , a subsidiary of SK Telecom .Members cultivate relationships by forming Ilchon or "friendships" with each other through their minihompy....
, QQ show's avatar design system allows purchase of virtual goods to outfit avatar
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
s, which can also be used with QQ IM.
QQ Player:
In 2008, Tencent released a media player, available for free download, under the name QQ Player.
Qzone:
A social networking service and, as of 2008, the largest in China.
SOSO:
Launched in March 2006, this search engine's name sounds like "搜搜", or "search search" in Chinese. It was a Chinese partner of Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, using AdWords
AdWords
Google AdWords is Google's main advertising product and main source of revenue. Google's total advertising revenues were USD$28 billion in 2010. AdWords offers pay-per-click advertising, cost-per-thousand advertising, and site-targeted advertising for text, banner, and rich-media ads. The AdWords...
.
Tencent Traveler:
Abbreviated "TT", this web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
developed by Tencent is based on the Trident
Trident (layout engine)
Trident is the name of the layout engine for the Microsoft Windows version of Internet Explorer.It was first introduced with the release of Internet Explorer version 4.0 in October 1997; it has been steadily upgraded and remains in use today...
and was the third most-used browser in China.
Tencent Weibo:
A Chinese microblogging
Microblogging
Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically smaller in both actual and aggregate file size...
service, Tencent Weibo competes with Sina Weibo
Sina Weibo
Sina Weibo is a Chinese microblogging website. Akin to a hybrid of Twitter and Facebook, it is one of the most popular sites in China, in use by well over 30% of Internet users, with a similar market penetration that Twitter has established in the USA...
.
TenPay:
An online payment system similar to PayPal
PayPal
PayPal is an American-based global e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. Online money transfers serve as electronic alternatives to paying with traditional paper methods, such as checks and money orders....
, it supports B2B
Business-to-business
Business-to-business describes commerce transactions between businesses, such as between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer...
, B2C and C2C
Consumer-to-consumer
Consumer-to-consumer electronic commerce involves the electronically facilitated transactions between consumers through some third party. A common example is the online auction, in which a consumer posts an item for sale and other consumers bid to purchase it; the third party generally charges a...
payments. In some Chinese cities individuals can use TenPay for utility payments and to refill their public transport cards. Co-branded credit cards are available, and credit card bills can also be paid using the service. Offline recharging of your TenPay account is possible, as the company sends employees to collect customer money in person.
Subsidiaries
Tencent has at least four wholly foreign owned enterprisesWholly Foreign Owned Enterprise
The Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise, abbreviated WFOE, is a common investment vehicle for mainland China-based business. The unique feature of a WFOE is that involvement of a mainland Chinese investor is not required, unlike most other investment vehicles. WFOEs are limited-liability corporations...
, and nearly twenty subsidiaries in all.
Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Co Ltd
A software development company that has created, among others, Tencent Traveler and later versions of QQ IM, as well as mobile software. This subsidiary is located at the Southern District of Hi-tech Park, ShenzhenShenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
. It also holds a number of patents related to instant messaging and massively multiplayer online game
Massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
gaming.
Locations
Tencent's headquarters are located in the Tencent Building (腾讯大厦 Téngxùn Dàshà) in the Southern District of Hi-techPark (新科技园 Xīn Kējì Yuán) in Nanshan DistrictNanshan District, Shenzhen
Nanshan District is one of the seven districts comprising Shenzhen. It encompasses the southwest area of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, with a population of 0.9 million...
, Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
. Other sites include a 48,000 square meter compound that houses an R&D center in the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, a data and R&D center in Tianjin's Binhai Service Outsourcing Industry Park that is expected to be finished by June 2013, and also some 17,646 square meters of Shanghai office space purchased through a subsidiary, Tencent Cyber (Tianjin), and located in the Shanghai Modern Technology Services Community Zone.
See also
- Tencent QQTencent QQTencent QQ, generally referred to as QQ, is the most popular free instant messaging computer program in mainland China. As of July 11, 2011, the active QQ users accounts for QQ IM totaled 812.3 million, possibly making it the world's second largest online community. The number of simultaneous...
- QQ GamesQQ GamesQQ Games is a casual games client, offering only multi-player online games. Games are available through the QQ Games client and are entirely free to play. Partnering with AOL Instant Messenger through the AIM Plugin Gallery, AIM version 6.5 and up comes bundled with QQ Games...
- QzoneQzoneQzone is a social networking website, which was created by Tencent in 2005. It permits users to write blogs, keep diaries, send photos, and listen to music. Users can set their Qzone background and select accessories based on their preferences so that every Qzone is customized to the individual...
- List of virtual communities with more than 100 million users