One of the best things about the communications industry nowadays is the fact that you can see someone using nothing but your computer and the built in or external webcam. 8 years ago this was possible (when a company named Skype was founded), but was still in its infancy. Web cams and video services were basic. They didn't have the ability to process information, and speeds were so-so at best.
Now, with companies like Skype, anyone can communicate with friends and family. Even multiple people at the same time.
In the era of mobility, companies struggle to compete. So what do they do? They buy each other out. Skype, one of the more well known video messaging services, has agreed to buy GroupMe. GroupMe is a service that lets users make conference calls and text a group of people.
The kicker to this? Microsoft is still in the process of acquiring Skype, which means, that if the acquisition goes through (and most analysts say it will) that Microsoft will have a great use for the new service. To a computing software company like Microsoft, the fact that they may have access to a mobile group messaging service like this is extremely important. With steep competition from Apple and Google in the mobile world, and with everything shifting from desktops and laptops to sablets and smartphones, this gives Microsoft a huge advantage.
Although Skype and GroupMe will operate independently right now, the CEO of Skype said that eventually they will merge their technologies.
The world is changing. Consumers and businesses are going mobile.
To view the full article on the WSJ click the LINK
