Skype buys GroupMe

"Already, the deal's been explained in terms of battle lines being drawn and people running for cover: Skype bolstering its defenses against the remarkably similar Google Huddle, Facebook Messenger and Apple iMessage, while all are lining up against BlackBerry Messenger. Tiny GroupMe's founders, meanwhile, are reported to have cashed in rather than face the prospect of getting crushed by the settling tectonic plates of the internet's social-media giants."

Skype gulps group app as it is swallowed by Microsoft The Register

We are seeing Google, Apple and Microsoft continuing to fight over the new space of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 with each trying to provide a full communication set. A set none actually fully know yet.

Presently Apple and Android has the advantage. We feel that Android has taken the lead in overall features, quality and price. The recent riots in the UK underlined the extent to which people are still using Blackberry.

Microsoft-Skype-Nokia is still playing major catch up, but it will be very interesting to see what they come up with.