Holland-based IM and VoIP services provider Nimbuzz has just announced a noteworthy strategic partnership with StudiVZ, the largest social networking site in Germany famous worldwide for sporting a look closely resembling Facebook, which triggered the Californian company to file suit over the summer.
StudiVZ, which counts over 12 million users spanning across Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, will become the first in what Nimbuzz refers to as a series of international networking sites to integrate its technology, bringing real-time web and mobile communication capabilities to online communities. Nimbuzz says similar deals in Turkey, Asia and Italy are imminent.
Nimbuzz’ web chat feature is fully integrated into the existing StudiVZ interface allowing IM conversations between all community members. The full mobile Nimbuzz portfolio including voice calls, chat, file sharing across popular IM communities will also be made available later.
The partnership is effectively a revenue sharing agreement with income generated from ads sold as part of StudiVZ’s own advertising opportunities.
Nimbuzz has raised over $25 million in three rounds, mostly from Luxembourg-based Mangrove Capital Partners. The company claims it is growing at 10,000 registrations per day, with a 25% active user base in over 200 countries.
(Image credit: Mobile Industry Review)
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Nimbuzz is always confusing me. They wanted to be Skype for Mobile but now look more like Meebo or eBuddy to me. Numbers sound impressive so they must do something right. So, congratulations to them!
Boris is right, the numbers do sound impressive but at some point I think it would be worth them sitting down and figuring out exactly what they want to do. Further, and maybe its just me, but the whole idea of adding webchat to a social network doesn’t seem like an idea that will go anywhere fast. AIM is already out there and people already use it, there is no need to have an inbrowser, network-specific chat. I would like to see facebook’s numbers on how many people use their chat service, would be surprised if it was that many.
Thank you:))
“Major Distribution Deal” … ? Really?
I signed a deal with a cable channel last week and even I wouldn’t call it “Major Distro” … Nimbuzz + StudiVZ ???
There is a whole world outside the USA.
No kidding!
studivz will become more like facebook with chat by nimbuzz
Would this make StudiVZ a more appealing and fatter target for Facebook to go after?
Thank you for the report! StudiVZ is a nice social network for students, but it really looks like a Facebook-copy. I think, the international business network called XING is more interesting.
LOL at the facebook comment!
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dudes i tell you StudiVZ rocks in Germany, most of germans dont even know that FB exists, and as the VZ group also offers platforms pupil and non students they own it