Skype users have been able to send text messages from Skype for a while. First it was a beta service tested by London company Connectotel released last year, and as of May Skype launched a service available in the latest desktop software download–looks like there’s still no Mac version! Today mBlox, the SMS-delivery startup based in Sunnyvale, sent out word that it is helping power the new Skype SMS service.
It’s a significant win for mBlox, which says it will carry Skype’s SMS traffic over 180 wireless operators. The company is on a roll and last February raised $25 million from Trident Capital, BA Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, among others. I recently talked to Jay Emmet, the company’s President of Americas, and he said the deal was a part of the company’s plans to push outside of its home bases in North America and Europe. Particularly Asia.
Skype’s desktop to text message application won’t likely gain a fraction of the popularity of Skype’s free telephony service–for one thing it costs money. Skype talks a bit about why the company charges for the service, and says the carriers charge Skype, so they have to pass the fee onto users. But even if only a fraction of Skype users take up the SMS service, the partnership could make mBlox a well-known global brand. Something that could be even more valuable for the startup.
6 comments so far
2:32 PM PT
Why would you want to send an SMS from Skype? At least in the US, you can send an SMS via e-mail for free (of course, you do need to know what carrier they use). Either this is not the case elsewhere, or this is just not a well thought out service. A more useful feature would be if you could receive SMS via SkypeIn.
6:25 PM PT
But then can one not send an SMS to an email account as well? So what is so special to receive it on a SkypeIn number?
7:27 PM PT
This is important as it means that for skype users who are mobile (and today are not contactable via skype) that one can SMS them. It makes Skype a place where one can contact everyone. From their integrated address book.
[And strangely , this article only appears on the RSS feed, but is not displayed on the main gigaom.com page… but is available via searching the webpage. content mgmt system issue?]
7:28 PM PT
ignore the last comment - found it - it was on the next page!
2:59 PM PT
No Aswath, I’m pretty sure you can’t send an SMS to an e-mail account (for free that is).
8:14 PM PT
Checkout this free service http://www.click4sms.com It let’s you send sms to groups for free… You can create organizations, groups and schedule SMS either onetime or recurring
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