eBuddy, the instant messenger startup that we’ve likened to a European meebo (though eBuddy has been around for much longer), has released the latest figures for its mobile instant messaging client, and it looks like business is booming.
Since July, the mobile J2ME eBuddy client has been downloaded over 5 million times, and has seen 10 million total downloads since launching in summer 2007 (current download rates are pegged at around 1 million per month. The company reports 1.5 billion message exchanges monthly across an average of 3 million users. On application repository GetJar, the application is the top most downloaded app, ahead of notables like Google Maps. The application’s reach is also global, with availability in 195 countries and 37 languages.
While smartphones like iPhones and Blackberries may get most of the attention, the vast majority of mobile phone users are using more basic phones which support applications on the J2ME platform. eBuddy’s explosive growth is a testament to the size of this market, as well as the increasing trend towards using third party applications and data plans on mobile phones, even those that aren’t as advanced as smartphones.