Skype is looking for ways to tap into text messaging. The company announced an agreement to acquire a New York-based provider of mobile group messaging services that helps users stay in touch and make decisions.
GroupMe, founded in 2010 at the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon, soon will become part of the Skype family, which itself soon will become part of Microsoft. Financial terms of the Skype-GroupMe deal were not disclosed.
"Skype and GroupMe have a shared vision of creating applications and experiences that are the daily communications choice for a billion people," said Skype CEO Tony Bates. "The GroupMe team has created an incredibly sticky group messaging experience that works across mobile devices and platforms, making this a perfect addition to the voice, video and text products in the Skype family."
Beyond Mobile Skype
The GroupMe acquisition brings Skype a number of assets, including group messaging, conference calling, location sharing and photo sharing -- along with compatibility for the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 smartphones.
GroupMe lets users start new groups with contacts already in their smartphone address book. When a user sends a message to the group, everyone in the group receives it, similar to email group capabilities. But, with additional features, the developers compare it to a private chat room that works on a smartphone.
For example, a conference call feature gives every group a unique phone number. Users can text that number, and the message goes to everyone in the group. If users call the number, it starts an instant conference call.
GroupMe also lets users share their location with people in their group, find out where friends are, and see them all on a map.
Finally, the photo sharing feature lets users capture group moments as they happen and share them within the conversation.
How It Began
"When we first started GroupMe, we set out to achieve two major goals," GroupMe execs wrote in a blog post.
"The first was to solve a very simple problem we had as individuals: How do we stay in touch and coordinate with our friends better in real-time? The second was a bit bigger: how can we change the way people across the globe communicate and get together better in real life?"
"We solved problem No. 1, and our efforts alongside Skype will accelerate the execution of problem No. 2 tenfold. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity."
'Curious Move'
Microsoft bid $8.5 billion to buy Skype in May, but the acquisition is not expected to close until October. For Skype to acquire an outside firm before completing the merger with Microsoft is a curious move, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at The Enderle Group.
"Regardless of how interesting technology is, if Microsoft wanted the company, they would just buy it themselves. They don't need Skype to buy it for them," Enderle said.
"So the fact that they are doing this acquisition before the Skype deal closes could raise red flags," Enderle suggested.
"It's not an acquisition Skype should be making," Enderle said. "It's an acquisition that Microsoft, the acquiring company, should be making."
Indeed, there may be more to the story than meets the eye, and it will be interesting to watch what happens next in the Microsoft - Skype - GroupMe saga.
Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20110823/bs_nf/79873
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