After Laiwang, Can Alibaba Still Make an Impact on Messaging Apps?

Alibaba is piloting a mobile messaging app aimed at marrying social networking with business, an Alibaba spokeswoman said on Friday.

Capable of carrying conference calls and group messaging, DingTalk,

Alibaba's latest mobile messaging effort, targets small- and medium-sized enterprises, many of which are already Alibaba's customers.

Alibaba's previous attempt at a mobile messaging app, Laiwang, is seen by many analysts and industry observers as a dud, with the Chinese market dominated by Tencent's WeChat.

The company has little new information to offer about DingTalk, only saying that it remains in beta, with a spokesperson recently iterating that it will serve as "a versatile mobile communications app that fills a gap in the market for corporate mobile messaging." But with no timeframe given for a final release, or details on how the app will make money.