GroupMe – Group Messaging and Conference Calling Service

GroupMe is a group messaging and conference calling service that lets you stay in touch with groups of people in your real life network via phone, it was founded by Jared Hecht and Steve Martocci. It’s a free service that allows users to create and manage groups that, in effect, create an SMS-based chatroom. However, normal messaging rates apply, so make sure you have an SMS package, or awareness of the rates your carrier charges.

GroupMe is available for:

• iPhone
• Android
• BlackBerry
• Windows7

Features:

• Group Messaging: Start groups with the people already in your contacts. When you send a message, everyone instantly receives it. It’s like a private chat room that works on any phone.
• Conference Call: Each group has a unique phone number. Text that number, and the message goes to everyone in the group. Call it and start an instant conference call.
• Location: Share your location with the people in your group. Find out where your friends are and see them all on a map.
• Photo Sharing: Capture your group’s moments as they happen, and share them instantly within the conversation.

Additional Features:

• Questions(Beta): Ask a question to spark a conversation. Use it to plan a night out, chat about something with your friends as it happens, or whatever else you want, Direct it to a few people or an entire group, or even post it to Twitter and Facebook and let the world respond. There’s no pressure—Questions are opt-in, so everyone can decide whether they’d like to join the discussion.You can ask a question from iPhone, Android, or our website, with more platforms coming soon.
• Direct Messaging: Send a message directly to another GroupMe user—because sometimes, you don’t need to say it to the whole group. Just tap on a user’s avatar anywhere you see it, and have a one-on-one conversation without ever leaving the app. You can send and receive Direct Messages from our iPhone and Android apps for now, with a release across all platforms coming soon.
• Web Chat: Now you can participate in conversations on GroupMe from the comfort of your desk. When you log in to our website, every group and question you’re participating in will be waiting for your next message, just like in our app. Plus, the website is optimized for mobile browsers, so if your smartphone doesn’t already have the GroupMe app available, you can chat for free wherever you are.