Meebo’s $60M Reasons to Keep Chat Alive
Meebo, the web-based IM tool compatible with Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, AIM, ICQ, MySpaceIM, Facebook, Google Chat and so on, has raised another $25 million, summing up $60 million for the Mountain View company.
Apart from the instant message services, Meebo has also been ‘placing ad-supported toolbars on content sites such as AllThingsD, Mediaweek.com and Maxim.com. This week Meebo has started testing a ‘check-in’ service for content sites, similar to Foursquare. Users will be able to alert friends of your checking out a website, enhancing the chances of other people to enter the site. Publishers and advertisers will benefit from this because unlike recommendations from Twitter of Facebook that require more efforts to open posted URLs and sign in, Meebo will ease the process through the integration of its technology.
The VoIP and chat industry is expanding in general, judging by the recent partnership between Facebook and Skype and the potential integration between MySpace and PayPal. The telecom revolution requires voice calls softwares to adapt to the changing market. For example, the joint operations between Microsoft, Facebook, Bing and Windows Live Messenger, Microsoft is trying to achieve the greatest potential. At the moment, players cand find games using Bing, log into Windows Live Messenger anf chat with their friends while playing.
Another important role is played by the mobile instant messaging that will trigger even more IM users. Some say that IM will replace email be it for personal as well as for business use, although there have been many issues on the security of data transmitted via IM.
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