Hearst is adding instant-messaging (IM) functions to some of its magazine sites, as part of a partnership with Meebo. The service has already debuted on technical magazine site PopularMechanics.com, registering 30,000 unique users in the first week, according to Hearst data. Meebo's chat rooms will also launch on Hearst's teen-focused website, Seventeen.com.
"This partnership seamlessly links traditional media and social media with community tools," says Meebo COO, Martin Green Meebo. The exec adds that Meebo is looking to expand its collaboration with Hearst in the future.
US-based Meebo says it serves 40m people worldwide, handling around 5bn instant messages per month. The company has raised USD37.5m from investors including Time Warner Investments, Sequoia Capital and Draper Fisher Jurvetson.
StrategyEye's related companies: Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Time Warner, Sequoia Capital, Hearst Corporation, Meebo
