eBuddy, a long standing start-up in the web IM arena has finally released their own iPhone application free through the App Store. Previous to this, eBuddy already had an application on Android due to the fact it allowed multi-tasking. This is now a moot point for at least IM clients being built on the iPhone due to push notifications.
eBuddy supports all major IM clients excluding what I think is one of the most important ones, Facebook chat. Already eBuddy is hitting the top spots on the iPhone download charts nearing a total of 2 million people using there application, a signficant userbase for such a late to the game application on the iPhone.
While this userbase is significant eBuddy still faces a healthy amount of competition, namely Palringo which has been a prominent player in the IM space on many platforms. Still, if eBuddy can push out significant updates and keep ahead of the curve on the iPhone they might have their own niche, something there largest competitor Meebo hasn’t even bothered to dive into yet.
Already eBuddy is dwarfed many times over in terms of traffic by Meebo who has been experiencing growth month over month. This could potentially be the leverage room that eBuddy needs to get their foot back in the door. I feel though that if eBuddy doesn’t start advertisng their iPhone application that Meebo will have no trouble taking over. The iPhone market is still fluctuating and no set leader has been determined for many niche areas. Maybe this is time for eBuddy to make it marks once again.
