Meebo

{{short description|Instant messaging client}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2017}} {{Infobox website |name = Meebo |logo = Meebo brandtag.png |logo_alt = Word "Meebo" with stylized orange-blue capital Latin letter "M" | collapsible = yes | collapsetext = Screenshot |screenshot = Meboo website homepage.jpg |screenshot_alt = Page showing sign-in widget, recent news items and links to description pages about Meebo's features |caption = Meebo's homepage as of December 2011 |founded = {{start date and age|2005|9|14}}<ref name="sfgate-on-the-cheap" /> |location = Mountain View, California |country = U.S. |founder = Sandy Jen, Elaine Wherry, Seth Sternberg<ref name="oreilly-week-in-the-valley" /> |CEO = Seth Sternberg |products = Community IM, Meebo Bar and Meebo Me |services = Meebo Messenger, Meebo Rooms |owner = Google |url = {{URL|https://www.meebo.com/}} |programming_language= |ipv6 = No |website_type = Instant messager, social networking service |advertising = Yes<ref name="iw-offers-tools" /> |registration = Optional<ref name="tc-more-features" /> |users = 250 million monthly (2011)<ref name="tc-reaches-250m">{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/11/15/meebo-reaches-250-million-people/ |title=Meebo Now Reaches 250 Million People Across The Web |first=Erick |last=Schonfeld |work=TechCrunch |date=November 15, 2011 |access-date=July 11, 2013}}</ref> |launched = {{start date and age|2005|9}}<ref name="oreilly-week-in-the-valley" /> |current_status = Discontinued |native_clients = Android, BlackBerry, iOS<ref name="pcmag-best-picks" /> }} '''Meebo''' (often stylized as '''meebo''') was an instant messaging and social networking service provider. It was founded in September 2005 by Sandy Jen, Seth Sternberg, and Elaine Wherry, and was based in Mountain View, California.<ref name="sfgate-on-the-cheap" /> Initially the company offered a web-based instant messenger service, extending its offer in more general online chat and even social networking directions. In June 2012, Google acquired Meebo to merge the company's staff with the Google+ developers team.<ref name="gizmodo-google-is-buying-meebo">{{cite news |url=https://gizmodo.com/5915617/google-is-buying-meebo |title=Google Is Buying Meebo |first=Kyle |last=Wagner |website=Gizmodo |date=June 4, 2012 |access-date=August 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211082648/http://gizmodo.com/5915617/google-is-buying-meebo |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== History ==

Meebo's backend was originally written with libgaim 1.5.0.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Doliner |first1=Mark |title=Dear Blog |url=https://kingant.net/2008/04/dear-blog/ |website=KingAnt.net |access-date=11 April 2024 |date=24 April 2008}}</ref> After the initial period when the project was funded exclusively by its founders, Meebo raised $100,000 as angel investments (investors included Auren Hoffman and Marc Andreessen), received $3.5 million from Sequoia in 2005, and $9 million from Draper Fisher Jurvetson in 2006.<ref name="sfgate-on-the-cheap" /><ref name="tc-meebo-launches-rooms" /><ref name="bi-how-got-started">{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/seth-sternberg--meebo-2011-2|title=How Meebo Got Started And Its Strategy To Make The Web More Social |first=Mark |last=Suster |work=Business Insider |date=February 8, 2011 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref>

On August 2, 2006, Meebo launched the Flash-based "Meebo Me" chat window widget for personal websites, which automatically added visitors to the site owner's Meebo Messenger contact list, offering the possibility to start a realtime chat both to site owner and visitor<ref name="tc-meebo-me">{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2006/08/02/meebo-launches-meebome/ |title=Meebo Launches MeeboMe |first=Michael |last=Arrington |work=TechCrunch |date=August 2, 2006 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref> In May 2007, Meebo launched media-enabled chat rooms (Rooms) that can be embedded in any website page. At this point, Meebo still didn't have a revenue model.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/meebo-launching-media-enabled-chat-rooms/|title=Meebo launching media-enabled chat rooms|website=Cnet.com|date=15 May 2007|first=Rafe|last=Needleman|access-date=15 April 2019}}</ref>

In April 2008, Meebo secured $25 million in venture capital funding from Jafco Investment, Time Warner and KTB Investment & Securities.<ref name="tc-25m" /> In December 2008, Meebo started offering a "Community IM" integration widget, which was targeted at community-oriented sites and provided Meebo's services at third-party locations.<ref name="rw-facebook-and-myspace" /> In December 2009, Community IM was replaced with "Meebo Bar", a gadget that could be integrated by third parties into their site, providing advanced chat functionality to their users.<ref name="pcmag-best-picks" />

While initially operating on web access to the instant messaging market, Meebo expanded its offerings in the increasingly popular social network services. In February 2009, Meebo added Facebook Messenger to its list of supported instant messengers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/instant-messaging-site-meebo-adds-facebook-chat/|title=Instant Messaging Site Meebo Adds Facebook Chat|website=The New York Times|date=5 February 2009|first=Brad|last=Stone|access-date=15 April 2019}}</ref>

During the rise of the new generation of smartphone operating systems, Meebo released mobile applications for all major platforms: Android, iOS and BlackBerry.<ref name="pcmag-best-picks" /> In February 2010, after being among the first to launch an iPhone app, Meebo released a fully-fledged native iPhone app.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/meebo-is-the-new-king-of-iphone-messaging-apps-5473890|title=Meebo Is the New King of iPhone Messaging Apps|website=Gizmodo.com|date=17 February 2010|first=John|last=Herrman|access-date=15 April 2019}}</ref>

In May 2010, the original Meebo Rooms service was discontinued, and the feature was ultimately removed in October 2011.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}} In February 2011, Meebo acquired Mindset Media advertising company to improve its ads targeting.<ref name="tc-acquires-mindset-media" />

On June 4, 2012, Meebo announced that they had entered into an agreement to be acquired by Google.<ref name="gizmodo-google-is-buying-meebo" /> A month later, on July 11, 2012, all of Meebo's products were discontinued except for Meebo Bar, which remained operational until June 6, 2013.<ref name="pcmag-meebo-shutting-down" /><ref name="eweek-meebo-bar-discontinued">{{cite news |url=http://www.eweek.com/cloud/google-discontinuing-meebo-bar-chat-sharing-services/ |title=Google Discontinuing Meebo Bar Chat, Sharing Services |first=Todd R. |last=Weiss |website=eWeek |date=April 29, 2013 |access-date=August 7, 2013}}</ref> Meebo's staff was assigned to Google+ development.<ref name="gizmodo-google-is-buying-meebo" />

Meebo was also used as a workaround for users to connect to their instant messaging accounts in school or office networks that blocked such applications.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnheaven.com/web-messenger/|title=MSN web messenger|website=Msnheaven.com|access-date=15 April 2019|archive-date=March 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190315234626/http://www.msnheaven.com/web-messenger/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Products == === Messenger ===

Meebo Messenger, Meebo's initial offering, was a browser-based instant messaging application which supported multiple IM services (Yahoo!, MSN, AIM, ICQ, MySpaceIM, Facebook Chat and Google Talk).<ref name="mercury-ambitious">{{cite news |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/vc/ci_9906108 |title=Ambitious Meebo picks up partners: Offers web-based messaging |first=Scott Duke |last=Harris |work=San Jose Mercury News |date=July 17, 2008 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref><ref name="rw-facebook-and-myspace" /> Features of Meebo Messenger included invisible sign-on, simultaneous uniform access to multiple IM services and conversation logging.<ref name="tc-more-features">{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2006/02/19/meebo-more-features-continued-growth/ |title=Meebo: More Features, Continued Growth |first=Nik |last=Cubrilovic |work=TechCrunch |date=February 19, 2006 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref><ref name="pcmag-best-picks" /> File transfer and videoconferencing features were subsequently added to the application.<ref name="sp-file-sharing" /> Notification system was also available for Windows users via a standalone installable notifier, which could also maintain user's presence. Registered Meebo users could save their login information, so that all IM connections would be automatically established upon logging into Meebo.<ref name="pcmag-review" />

The application maintained a single unified contact list for all user's accounts, attributing contacts to instant messaging protocols by placing protocols' logos in front of them, although not showing contact's avatars. The application automatically dealt with contacts invitations and approvals. Social features of the messenger included online games, multi-user chat (via Meebo Rooms), currently played track name sharing and support for social networks' messaging protocols. (Albeit Meebo Messenger didn't notify of updates in social networks.)<ref name="pcmag-review" />

=== Rooms ===

Meebo Rooms was an advertising-supported multi-user chat service. Meebo partnered with blip.tv, Capitol Music Group, CNET Networks, NBC Universal and others to provide readily available rooms on their websites, so that users could discuss sites' content while consuming it.<ref name="rw-rooms-launched" /> Meebo Rooms were available from Meebo Messenger and via third-party social networking sites including Piczo, Revision3, RockYou, and Tagged.<ref name="iw-offers-tools">{{cite news |url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/206101463 |title=Meebo Offers Tools To Embed Ad-Carrying Chat Rooms |first=Antone |last=Gonsalves |website=InformationWeek |date=February 1, 2008 |access-date=January 16, 2012 |archive-date=July 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716185532/https://www.informationweek.com/404.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Meebo Rooms supported up to 80 simultaneous participants granted a degree of control to the host, allowing to invite and ban chat participants.<ref name="tc-meebo-launches-rooms" /><ref name="bw-crunch-time">{{cite news |url=http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-06-03/crunch-time-at-a-web-startup |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815173502/http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-06-03/crunch-time-at-a-web-startup |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 15, 2012 |title=Crunch Time At A Web Startup |first=Heather |last=Green |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |date=June 3, 2007 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref>

== References ==

{{Reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name="oreilly-week-in-the-valley">{{cite news |url=http://radar.oreilly.com/2006/07/a-week-in-the-valley-meebo.html |title=A Week in the Valley: Meebo |first=Nat |last=Torkington |work=O'Reilly Radar |date=July 12, 2006 |access-date=January 16, 2012}}</ref> <ref name="pcmag-best-picks">{{cite web |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2406784,00.asp |title=The Best Picks to Replace Meebo |first=Eric |last=Griffith |work=PC Magazine |date=July 9, 2012 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref> <ref name="pcmag-meebo-shutting-down">{{cite news |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2405581,00.asp |title=After Google Acquisition, Meebo Shutting Down July 11 |first=Angela |last=Moscaritolo |work=PC Magazine |date=June 11, 2012 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref> <ref name="pcmag-review">{{cite web |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2367315,00.asp |title=Meebo |first=Michael |last=Muchmore |work=PC Magazine |date=August 3, 2010 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref> <ref name="rw-facebook-and-myspace">{{cite web |url=http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/meebo_facebook_myspace.php |title=Even More IM at Meebo: Facebook and MySpace IM Added |work=ReadWrite |access-date=July 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017194041/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/meebo_facebook_myspace.php |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> <ref name="rw-rooms-launched">{{cite news |url=http://readwrite.com/2007/05/14/meebo_rooms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622081908/http://readwrite.com/2007/05/14/meebo_rooms |url-status=usurped |archive-date=June 22, 2013 |title=Meebo Rooms Launched - "like a very very rich widget" |first=Richard |last=Macmanus |work=ReadWrite |date=May 15, 2007 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref> <ref name="sfgate-on-the-cheap">{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/DOT-COM-ON-THE-CHEAP-Startups-shun-forebears-2622368.php#page-2|title=Dot-Com on the Cheap: Startups shun forebears' excesses, and some workers even bring their own chairs |first=Jessica |last=Guynn |website=SFGate |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |date=January 21, 2007 |access-date=August 14, 2012}}</ref> <ref name="sp-file-sharing">{{cite news |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/Meebo-Gets-File-Sharing-Features-Yahoo-Messenger-Users-Overjoyed-65211.shtml |title=Meebo Gets File Sharing Features. Yahoo Messenger Users Overjoyed! |first=Bogdan |last=Popa |work=Softpedia |date=September 11, 2007 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref> <ref name="tc-25m">{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/04/30/its-official-meebo-raises-25-million-from-jafco-time-warner-and-ktb/ |title=It's Official: Meebo Raises $25 Million From Jafco, Time Warner and KTB |first=Michael |last=Arrington |work=TechCrunch |date=April 30, 2008 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref> <ref name="tc-acquires-mindset-media">{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/02/08/meebo-acquires-mindset-media-prepares-to-venture-into-direct-response-advertising/ |title=Meebo Acquires Mindset Media, Prepares To Venture Into Direct Response Advertising |first=Jason |last=Kincaid |work=TechCrunch |date=February 8, 2011 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref> <ref name="tc-meebo-launches-rooms">{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2007/05/14/meebo-launches-meebo-rooms-oh-and-meebo-now-has-ads/ |title=Meebo Launches Meebo Rooms (oh, and Meebo now has ads) |first=Michael |last=Arrington |work=TechCrunch |date=May 14, 2007 |access-date=August 7, 2014}}</ref> }}

== External links ==

{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area|Companies|Internet}} *{{official website|https://www.meebo.com}}

{{Google LLC}} {{Instant messaging}}

Category:Chat websites Category:Instant messaging clients Category:Internet properties established in 2005 Category:Android (operating system) software Category:IOS software Category:American companies established in 2005 Category:2005 software Category:Yahoo! instant messaging clients Category:Software companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area Category:2005 establishments in California Category:Google acquisitions Category:Discontinued Google acquisitions Category:Discontinued Google services Category:2012 mergers and acquisitions Category:Defunct software companies of the United States Category:Defunct instant messaging clients