Hike Messenger acquires Zip Phone

Hike, the instant messaging (IM) app service from BSB (Bharti Softbank, a joint venture between Bharti Group and Japan’s Softbank), has acquired free voice calling app Zip phone from US based Thought Mechanics Inc for an undisclosed sum. This would also compete with Bharti Airtel own core mobile service. Hike is also competing with SMS service provided by Airtel among other cellular service providers. The venture, however, adds data service earnings to all mobile operators.

The move is expected to expand Hike’s product range in the Internet based communication space. This is the first acquisition by Hike, and is aimed at expanding its products range in the Internet based communication space. Launched by Anuj Jain, Zip Phone is a voice-calling app that can automatically detect one’s contacts, and intelligently routes the call through the Wi-Fi.

Founded by in July 2012 by Kavin Bharti, Hike is a peer-to-peer (P2P) messaging app that uses both data and SMS to deliver messages. Hike is one of the leading mobile apps based out of India with around 35 Million users. Close to 90 percent of its users are Indians aged below 25 years. One of the key features of Hike is that those who do not have Hike on their phones can still receive an Instant message as SMS. One can also respond to it but have to pay normal SMS charges for that.

 Hike is competing with a slew of IM apps that include Whatsapp, which claims to have around 70 Million users in India, besides Facebook Messenger, Viber, Google Talk, and Kakao talk from South Korea, Taiwan Cubie, and LoveByte from Singapore, China WeChat, Japan Line, and Nimbuzz in India. Smartphone makers have their own apps too, such as BlackBerry Ltd Messenger, Apple Inc iMessage, and Samsung Electronics ChatOn. Last September, Hike had secured $65 Million (Rs 400 cr) in funding from a group of overseas investors led by Tiger Global Management. 

New Call Telecom acquired chat app Nimbuzz

New call Telecom is a young, dynamic telecommunication provider in UK. It was started in 2010. Recently, New Call Telecom acquired 70% stake in Mobile Instant Messaging and VoIP Company Nimbuzz for about $175 Million. Nimbuzz will now act as a unit of New Call Telecom. Nimbuzz had previously raised funding from Naspers and Mangrove Capital.

Founded in Netherlands by Evert Jaap Lugt in 2006, Nimbuzz shifted its corporate headquarters to Gurgaon in India a couple of years ago. It claims to have 201 Million subscribers in over 200 countries. In a month, the platform processes more than a billion voice-over-internet call minutes and in excess of 100 Billion besides operating one of the largest mobile advertising platforms in South Asia, Middle East, and North Africa regions.

The messenger claims it is the only multi-lingual solution provider, offering its service in more than 25 regional languages. It provides a single tool for making voice and peer-to-peer video calls, sending instant messages and sharing data via all major communications platforms. The company had earlier collaborated with Internet service provider Spectranet Hello IP to launch International-calling platforms for Indian users to make calls abroad for 1 paisa per second through this platform.

Last year Nimbuzz had entered a partnership with Cleartrip to enable travel bookings on its platform. Called the Cleartrip buddy, users can explore travel options as well as make bookings through it. On the app, users can do the preliminary search by adding basic information for their travel plans and for the actual transaction, they are led to a co-branded WAP page. New call will integrate the capabilities of the Nimbuzz platform along with a plethora of new apps with its Wi-Fi and home broadband service in India, and eventually in other parts of the world. Nimbuzz will also become an incubator for apps for New Call.

New Call is planning for more acquisitions in the Indian market in the fields of fixed line broadband, Wi-Fi, and e-commerce. This year, Facebook bought Whatsapp in Multi-billion dollar cash and stock deal while Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten bought messaging service Viber. Whatsapp dominates the Indian Messaging and chat app market and some of the other prominent players are Line, Tencent’s WeChat, and Bharti Softbank’s Hike.