Nimbuzz has been asked by Skype to remove support for all Skype services, effective October 31st. The move is understood to be in line with Skype's mandate to disconnect with all third party VOIP and messaging services ahead of its impending IPO.

Nimbuzz recently announced that it has surpassed 150,000,000 downloads and has 30 million registered users across all major mobile operating systems. Moreover, 3.65 Billion Mobile Voice Minutes have been logged by Nimbuzz over the past year proving the increased demand and rapid adoption of the platform's own low cost calling service, NimbuzzOut. More competitively priced than Skype, NimbuzzOut is available on more mobile devices and networks than SkypeOut.

"Skype's decision is unfair to its own and our users," said Evert Jaap Lugt, CEO of Nimbuzz. "People want to choose how they communicate and to be able to make calls and send messages, regardless of service, social network, device or operator network. Nimbuzz gives them the freedom to do so, Skype does not."

As from October 31st, Skype users will be unable to chat, send messages or call friends and family on Nimbuzz and visa versa. However, unlike those using only Skype, Nimbuzz users remain free to communicate with their contacts using other VOIP/SIP services and social networks, including, Facebook, Yahoo, Windows Live Messenger (MSN), AIM, GoogleTalk Twitter, MySpace, ICQ, Gadu-Gadu and Hyves.

"The enormous popularity of Nimbuzz around the globe, proves that people don't want to be tied to one service, or channel of communications. The way forward is to empower people and that is our mission -- to give everyone the power to communicate with anyone in the world, however they want to, across any network, computer or mobile device," concludes Lugt.