Skype has acquired mobile group messaging service GroupMe, which is expected to enhance its text and photo messaging capabilities.
GroupMe provides a mobile messaging application, which allows users to share images and text messages to a group and also supports in-browser chatting and free conference calls. GroupMe was founded by Jared Hecht and Steve Martocci, in 2010, at a hackathon.
While the details of the acquisition are not being released, it has been rumoured that Skype handed over $80 million for the mobile app.
In a blog post on the GroupMe site, it is said: “Over the last few months, we had been in talks with Skype that started with discussions about potential commercial partnerships. As we got to know the core Skype team better, though, and as our conversations evolved, it quickly became evident that our visions were perfectly aligned.
“Both companies are focused on changing the way the world communicates, and helping people stay in touch with the people they really know. With a shared vision - an ambitious one - we decided our efforts to own real-time communications and the real life network could be best executed as one company.”
GroupMe will remain based in New York and will continue work on its standalone application. “The major difference will be that we will now have access to Skype's 175 million monthly connected users,” said the blog post.
Sticky business
Skype CEO Tony Bates says the company will look for integration points between Skype and GroupMe over time.
In a message on the Skype blog, Bates says: “This acquisition is another step towards our vision to provide a global multi-modal and multi-platform communications experience.
“It complements our existing leadership in voice and video communications by providing best-in-class mobile text-based communications and innovative features around group messaging.”
Bates adds that GroupMe is an “incredibly sticky group messaging experience” that works across devices and platforms.
“We're excited about introducing their disruptive product to our global user base,” says Bates.
The latest acquisition follows a number of shake-ups and increased competition in the group messaging space, including the launch of Google+ and Google's purchase of Slide, the roll-out of Facebook's Group Chat, after its acquisition of Beluga, in March, as well as Apple's iMessage for iOS 5, announced in June.
Microsoft signed a deal to buy Skype for $8.5 billion in May this year. However, the deal is still awaiting the European Commission's approval so that the acquisition can officially close. The US Federal Trade Commission granted its approval in June.
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