Nimbuzz Retreads Familiar Ground

Nimbuzz has announced an application to provide free calls, chat and more, pumping an all-in-one solution for free mobile VoIP calling, conferencing calling, instant messaging, chat and group chat, and photo and file sharing across multiple IM communities, including Skype, MSN, Google Talk, Yahoo, and AIM, plus 23 social networks, including Facebook and Myspace. Is an offer to include a set of Ginzu knives far behind?

It's hard to get excited because of the glut of companies offering bits and pieces to the puzzle, ranging from Skype with a mobile client, free client-to-client calling and IM solution to Jajah/Jangl's bits splicing in VoIP to social networking. Nimbuzz's Swiss Army knife approach with a S****-out approach to pick up a couple of pennies per minute per call sounds tired.  Skype isn't standing still either, moving to testing a mobile VoIP client in Europe and other improvements no doubt in the works.

Despite being officially announced today, Nimbuzz says it already has more than 500,000 registered users (collected through their beta started in January 2007) and is generating more than a million logins per week. The company resides in Rotterdam and boasts of venture and strategic funding by Mangrove Capital Partners, the VC backers of Skype.

For more:
- Nimbuzz TechCrunch/Washington Post write-up.

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