<p>As of an hour ago, app messenger Whatsapp went down around the world; at time of print, it had just started working again.</p><p>The outage comes at a bad time for Whatsapp, as rival BBM is on the rise, seeing over 20 million downloads since the launch of its iOS and Android apps two weeks ago. Although it still has only 80 million users compared to Whatsapp's 350 million, some argue that BBM could outdo Whatsapp, thanks to better security, a free app, and voice and video services.</p><p>Whatsapp's global app rankings also recently took a dip, possibly thanks not just to BBM's launch but also to its launch of a new subscription paywall that goes into effect after a year of use.</p><p>The chat app faces competition from China's WeChat, which announced in August that it had 235 million active monthly users (compared to Whatsapp's more than 200 million monthly active users as of this April), and Japan's LINE, which boasts 200 million users and is prepping for an IPO soon. LINE, which is gaining traction in the Arab world, offers VOIP and an activity timeline, which Whatsapp doesn't.</p><p><a href="http://www.wamda.com/2013/11/whatsapp-goes-down">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/1800072-why-bbm-will-outcompete-whatsapp-and-become-the-gold-standard-of-communication?source=google_news">BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY): Why BBM Will Outcompete WhatsApp And Become The ...</a> (Seeking Alpha)</p><p><a href="http://www.bdlive.co.za/life/gadgets/2013/11/03/signpost-blackberrys-future-tied-to-bbm-success">SIGNPOST: BlackBerry&#039;s future tied to BBM success</a> (BDlive)</p><p><a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/11/03/chat-with-me-embracing-bbm-all-over-again.html">Chat with me: Embracing BBM all over again</a> (Jakarta Post)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dPfX4n_lhA7g_MMPiapiS0bfcrH_M&ned=us">36 additional articles.</a></p>