Instant Messanger and VoIP Generates Buzz: New Call Telecom Acquires 70% Stake
Instant Messanger and VoIP Generates Buzz: New Call Telecom Acquires 70% Stake
Nimbuzz is now in news for all the right reasons. The instant messenger and VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol firm has attracted a deal estimated at USD 250 million, though the exact size of the transaction has not been disclosed publicly. Nimbuzz is currently headed by IIT grad Vishal Saxena and it has around 200 million registered users, according to a report in ET.
Nimbuzz is a proprietary instant messaging aggregator for smartphones, PCs and tablets developed by Nimbuzz B.V. This VoIP and instant messenger player has users hailing from over 200 countries across the world. Nimbuzz application provides users with the chance to enjoy free calls as well as social games, file sharing, instant messaging and social networking on mobile devices. Discounted rates are another strong feature of this instant messenger player.
Nimbuzz was originally located in the Netherlands. It was founded in the year 2006 by Evert Jaap Lugt. The company received a first round of funding in 2007 when it gained USD 10 million. In the second round of funding, it received around USD 15 million. Nimbuzz became a VoIP company in the month of January, 2007. It launched the VoIP and instant messaging client in 2008. In 2009, the company won the Red Herring Global 100 award.
As India is going to experience a massive internet and mobile boom in the coming years, Nimbuzz shifted base from Rotterdam to Delhi. Around 1/5th of Numbuzz users reside in India. Apart from India, Nimbuzz also has offices in California in the US as well as Brazil and Argentina besides Rotterdam. Nimbuzz users can send and receive XMPP based instant messages and go in for location sharing.
Group chat is also supported and the clients also have access to a VoIP to cellular service called "NimbuzzOut". This company also supports interaction with messaging services such as Google Talk and Facebook Chat. It also as an in app portal called N World with applications, avatars, gifts and games. New Call Telecom is the sixth largest ISP provider in the UK and it will pick a 70% stake in Nimbuzz.
"We see huge potential in India's nascent internet, broadband, instant messaging and data sharing markets. We hope to generate and expand a number of new and traditional revenue streams as e-commerce picks pace and broadband expands," New Call chairman Jerome Booth said.
The CEO of Nimbuzz, Vishal Saxena will continue to retain his position in the company. The 35 year old IIT grad will also retain his equity holdings in the company. This acquisition of a 70% stake by New Call aims at tapping the growing mobile sector.
