Skype fires up GroupMe marketing push

With an increasing array of group messaging options available, VoIP provider Skype last week started hyping its own offering--GroupMe, which it acquired for $85 million in August-to existing and new users.

The company sent out an email blast inviting users to "try something awesome."

"We're excited to introduce GroupMe--the newest member of the Skype family."

GroupMe lets users send messages and photos to groups created from a user's existing contact list; when you send a message, everyone in the group receives it. It also allows group members to chat.

And, since each group has its own phone number, in addition to sending messages, users can also start an instant conference call.

GroupMe also offers location sharing, handy, for example, when you want to set up a meeting for several people in a central location.

GroupMe is available as a free app for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7, and also works with any phone capable of texting.

Skype bought the one-year-old startup to help it shore up its push into enterprise. GroupMe, which had raised $11.5 million before it was acquired, has a few million users who send upwards of 100 million texts per month.

Skype CEO Tony Bates called the deal "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 that enable users to connect, share locations and photos and make plans with their closest ties," he said.

The VoIP provider, best known for providing phone calls over the Internet via PCs and smartphones, also has targeted landlines too, releasing two products: A minirouter that lets you plug a landline into your router to make calls even when your computer is off. and a cordless G.E. phone that makes calls over your regular line or via Skype.

Skype, of course, is waiting for its own acquisition by Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) to be approved by European regulators. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission approved the deal in June.

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