3Jam Acquired + CEO Move To Skype = Acquisition?

3Jam, which has nearly four million users, provides a variety of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and Internet-based voice services, including group messaging, call routing, visual voicemail, call transcription, SMS-to-email and virtual phone numbers.

3jam was one of the early voice movers in the research around mobile voice products. More recently other players just as Google Voice, which as well provides smart phone number forwarding and the like,  have jumped on the scene.

Skype, which was bought out from eBay and at that time in August 2010 filed for an IPO, could be interested in adding more of 3jam’s features to compete with Google Voice and others. So for instance, you would be able to get a phone call on one number and have it ring only on your work number at certain times however your Skype number at other times. In January Skype acquired mobile video company Qik.

I cover start-ups, research, social and various other Silicon Valley topics from San Francisco. I was before a reporter for Dow Jones VentureWire, where I covered venture capital and Internet start-up companies, from search engines to seed investing to special purpose vehicles. I as well previously worked for Red Herring, the Long Beach Press-Telegram, and other outlets. In a previous life I was a web developer. Follow me on Twitter: @tomiogeron.