All you need to know about WhatsApp senders
WhatsApp enables businesses to keep up with the ever-evolving environment that is customer communication. From engagement campaigns and transactional as well as authentication messages, to 24/7 support, WhatsApp has become a must-have tool for businesses to implement across their entire customer journey.
Meta’s dedication to the future development of WhatsApp Business Platform promises a bright future for every business keen on adding innovations to their communication. In this blog, we’ll delve into these improvements and explore the possibilities they offer.
What are Cloud vs Hosted senders
Infobip, as a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider and Meta Business Partner, currently offers Cloud and Hosted senders.
The main difference between Cloud and Hosted senders is the location of the server. The WhatsApp Cloud sender is hosted on a server managed by Meta, while the Hosted sender is on a local server hosted and maintained by Infobip.
Besides the location, there are various differences between using WhatsApp with a Cloud or Hosted senders. Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison to highlight what you need to know:
| Cloud solution | Hosted solution | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Hosted and maintained by Meta | Hosted and maintained by Infobip Will be discontinued from October 2025 |
| Features | All existing features are already implemented | No new features will be implemented from January 2024 |
| Throughputs | Default 80 mps Free upgrade per request up to 1000 mps | Default 15 mps for text messages Possibility of upgrading up to 250 mps |
| Maintenance | New features and security updates are available automatically on the Cloud, while version upgrades are done by Infobip. Doesn’t require individual deployment or software upgrades | Infobip performs all API software upgrades |
| Security and privacy | Protected by Signal protocol encryption | WhatsApp encryption |
| Connectivity with Infobip | WhatsApp API Conversations API Infobip SaaS solutions: Moments, Answers, Conversations | WhatsApp API Conversations API Infobip SaaS solutions: Moments, Answers, Conversations |
What is the future of Cloud senders?
Meta made new announcements at the end of 2023 that their focus from 2024 onwards will be Cloud senders only.
That means a few changes for businesses currently using Hosted senders, as follows:
- January 9th, 2024: from January onwards, all newly developed features will ship exclusively for Cloud senders. Updates for Hosted senders will be done quarterly, but will only address bug fixes and security patches.
- July 1st, 2024: the registration of Hosted senders won’t be possible from this date. New senders must be registered exclusively as Cloud senders. Existing Hosted senders will be able to remain Hosted until October 2025.
- October 23rd, 2025: Meta announced the discontinuation of Hosted senders. Messages sent after this date to or from businesses via the Hosted senders will no longer be delivered.
Benefits of Cloud senders
Cloud senders will bring numerous crucial benefits to businesses.
- Improved features. Along with the interactive message types it already offers – Flows, payments, product messages, list messages, buttons, quick replies, etc. – the development of commercial features and possibilities within the app is rapidly expanding. This will help businesses stay aligned with market trends and position themselves as innovators, providing their customers with engaging and superb experiences.
- Higher throughput. Timely notifications are key in today’s communication. With Cloud senders, the default throughput is 80 messages per second, which can easily be upgraded to meet the demands of businesses, reaching an impressive 1000 messages per second upon request. However, if your sender already has a status quality rating that is classified as “High”, the maximum throughput of 1000 messages per second will automatically be added to it without a special request. High throughputs are a ground-breaking change, empowering businesses to communicate more efficiently.
- Maintained security. Every WhatsApp message continues to be protected by Signal protocol encryption that secures messages before they leave the device. This means messages with a WhatsApp business account are securely delivered to the destination chosen by each business. For businesses that require local data storage within a specific jurisdiction, there is a Local Storage option available to control where message data is stored at rest. Local Storage options are currently available for India, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Bahrain, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Canada.
- Quick migration to the Cloud. If you already have Hosted senders and would like to make a transition, we have you covered. Our technical teams work hard to make the migration as smooth and seamless as possible – expected downtime is up to 5 minutes, and it will be performed during the lowest traffic period or as agreed.
Hosted senders summary
Even though Hosted senders will be discontinued in October 2025, businesses that do not require the full set of commercial updates can continue using them until then.
With a Hosted sender, on top of all rich standard features, you can get add-ons like virus scanning for incoming media, auto-content cleaner, and identity change tracking.
Infobip will deploy and manage the process of sending and receiving messages as well as taking care of any updates that are available from WhatsApp. Infobip Hosted senders ensure all messages are delivered on time by managing queuing and routing while complying with regional technical, commercial, and legal requirements.
Why partner with Infobip to utilize the WhatsApp Business Platform
As a long-term WhatsApp Business Provider and Meta Business Partner, Infobip helps businesses orchestrate their communication via the WhatsApp Business Platform API and with our cloud SaaS solutions:
With global knowledge and a local presence through 75+ offices worldwide, we work directly with global brands to help them harness the conversational capabilities of WhatsApp for their business. This helps them to become high-performing, data-driven, and customer-centric organizations.
Already have a WhatsApp account? You can simply port your number to Infobip and we’ll take care of the rest.
Get access to always-on professional services
WhatsApp onboarding package: We address your business needs and help you accelerate time to value, maximize ROI, and equip your team with knowledge on how to use our products.
Customized CX consultancy services: Designed to help you easily create engaging customer journeys and achieve the best possible customer experience. Infobip experts work closely with you to create a detailed project plan tailored to your needs. With helpful training and project documentation, you’ll be up and running in no time.
Custom integrations: Seamlessly connect our solutions with your existing infrastructure to maximize results and reduce costs. We also provide data migration services to help you transfer all your customer data from your old system to ours without any heavy lifting.
If you are still wondering if WhatsApp is the right fit for your communication portfolio, we can help you decide. Explore Infobip’s Platform by creating an account and activating free messages on WhatsApp. We’ll guide you every step of the way to ensure you drive the best business results with your WhatsApp Business Platform strategy.
