Skype Acquires The Start-Up GroupMe Message Service
August 22, 2011
According to The Wall Street Journal, Skype has acquired GroupMe, a start-up group text messaging service. Currently, the free GroupMe app is available for all smartphones and it allows users to send group text messages and make conference calls.
It seems this is happening as other social media outlets such as Facebook, Apple’s iMessage and Google+ are all planning to compete in the group messaging market.
Skype and GroupMe will work independently at the start, so users do not have to change how they currently use the app. Eventually, when the time is right, the two companies will combine their technologies.
Tony Bates, the CEO of Skype said this acquisition would help Skype further develop their services for computers and mobile devices. "We think the mobile group messaging space is very important.” said Bates. “It means furthering the breaking down of barriers to global communications."
GroupMe was founded by Steve Martocci and Jared Hecht in 2010, and currently sends over 100 million messages each month. The company began with raising venture capital of $11.5 Million and rumors are it will be purchased for approximately $80 Million.
Several investors felt this was a great time for GroupMe to sell, considering the growing competition. This 1-year-old company will now be tied with a bigger name and more resources for growth.
Both Martocci and Hecht, along with all the other GroupMe employees will join Skype and begin aligning the two companies.
