Nimbuzz raises $15 million in second round funding - but who will win the IM race?

by: admin Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

Nimbuzz, the dutch based VOIP and IM provider has raised $15 million in second round funding.

Nimbuzz brings technology solutions to social networks allowing the end user the advantage of real time communication such as Voice calls, chat, file sharing. Deals with 10 major social networks offer unified social networking communication and through it’s Mobile Application brings these features to mobile phones.

From the Press Release:

Founder and CEO Evert Jaap Lugt commented: “We are actively working on strategic distribution deals with leading social networks and mobile operators. It is our aim to blend our technology with existing mobile
internet access to upgrade the value chain for business and consumers alike. Operators understand the need for services like Nimbuzz which provide traffic and drive the demand for mobile data plans, an ever more
important revenue stream.”

“Nimbuzz brings IM and voice to social networks,” adds Lugt. “By incorporating our applications, social networks can offer their users fully integrated real-time communication services like voice calls, chat, file
sharing and access to their friends in other popular IM communities such as Skype, AIM, Yahoo, MSN and GTalk. Additionally, their online social networking experience can be extended to the mobile phone, allowing them to become completely connected.”

Nimbuzz claims 1 million registered mobile users with 5,000 joining each day. The genuine Nimbuzz mobile VoIP works worldwide on Symbian Series 60 devices when connected using a 3G or Wifi network. However users with only a GPRS/EDGE connections, or using Java-enabled phones, can also make international mobile VoIP calls using the Nimbuzz “hybrid-VoIP” solution (as used by other providers like Truphone and Skype) - for making international mobile calls at local dial-in cost - in as many as 50 countries. Impressively, the development that has already gone into Nimbuzz means it works on more than 500 handsets worldwide.

We say: The competition is hotting up in the Mobile IM area. Not only do we have the social networks offering a solution, we also have competitors like Fring and the UK based Trutap. Unified messaging has to be the way forward. One client for multiple social networks, email, sms -iis essential moving forward. Simplicity will lead the way and which ever company can achieve this - will dominate.

Source: TC UK/PRNewswire