UCWeb, a Chinese mobile internet software vendor which is well-recognized for its mobile browser, has issued an open letter to its partners and users today refuting Tencentโs lately report that quoting 3rd statics saying โTencent Mobile Browser Eclipsed Its Competitors to Became No.1โ. Shenzhen-based Tencent emailed the report to some of UCWebโs partners couple days ago.
According to UCWeb, Tencent sent the letter aiming to obscure the fact that UC Browser is actually the No.1 mobile browser in Chinaโs market so the company could lure away UCWebโs partners.
In the letter, UCWeb stated that itโs not the first time Tencent employed such laughable and awful methods to compete with the company. UCWeb revealed that its browserโs monthly active users has recorded 167 million, which means UCWeb took over 77.67% of Chinese mobile browser market given Chinaโs mobile browser users of 215 million.
UCWeb also claimed obtaining hundreds of mobile browser-related patents.
Itโs also not the first time some startup cried over Tencentโs โunfair competitionโ or because the latter outreached its tentacles. Weโve heard a whole lot of such claims. Like Qihoo 360 accused Tencent for copying its ideas, the two initiated the notorious โ3Q Warfareโ late last year.
Thereโs a unconfirmed rumor (or more of a joke) about Tencent that goes like: Whenever a startup founder pitches his/her idea to a VC, he or she would be grilled with the question โWhat would you do if Tencent also taps into the same territory.โ Not sure how much credibility I can give to this rumor, but did hear some entrepreneurs saying being advised against direct competition with Tencent in the same arena.
Tencent hasnโt responded to UCWebโs letter yet.
