Pavel Durov seems to be creating a competitor of his own instant messenger, Telegram, if judging by a new version – christened Telegram HD – which appeared in the Apple AppStore on July 21.
The app is registered to the company Telegram Messenger LLP and all links to the Telegram app for iPhone on the messenger’s official website lead to Telegram HD, not Telegram Messenger, as they did previously. There was an announcement about the new messenger on the official Telegram Twitter account as well.
Now there are two Telegram messengers on AppStore – the original one registered to Telegram LLC, and the new Telegram HD. The Telegram app for Google Android is also registered to Telegram Messenger LLP.
Telegram LLC previously belonged to Durov. In April of this year, however, UCP – the Russian fund that acquired a stake in social network VKontakte before suing its founder Durov – was able to buy Telegram LLC and two more companies (Digital Fortress and Pictograph LLC) from Durov’s partner Axel Neff (who is called the nominal owner of those companies in the lawsuit).
Durov wants to win back those companies from UCP in a New York court, trying to show that UCP conspired with Durov’s partners to take possession of those companies illegally.
The Telegram app for AppStore was originally registered to Telegram LLC, and it and UCP received the passwords to the Apple store account. Durov still does not have access to the account and the app has not been updated.
Since its launch one year ago, Telegram app has exploded onto the messaging space amassing dozens of million users in a matter of months. According to Durov, the service offers users encryption protection too sophisticated even for security agencies to overcome. Telegram was honored last month in Berlin at The Europas, a contest for technology startups that attracted companies from all over the world.
Sources: Siliconrus.com, Vedomosti
