Independent Web and mobile instant messaging service eBuddy has launched for iPhone, offering free access to multiple IM networks and push notification.

EBuddy for iPhone is a free mobile instant messaging application that enables iPhone and iPod Touch owners with AIM, Facebook Chat, ICQ, Gtalk, Yahoo or MSN Windows Live Messenger to have multiple chats in one aggregated interface, providint an on-the-go chat experience.

"The strategy is based on the fact that no mobile portfolio is complete without an iPhone app," said Jan-Joost "JJ" Rueb, cofounder/CEO of eBuddy, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. "We've seen a lot of iPhone apps out there, but we're introducing the first multi-headed IM client with push available.

"Push is the big thing around IM in the iPhone, and we're the first to introduce a free version," he said. "There's a browser-based lite version available on iPhone, and 2 million people log in quite regularly, and they're eager to get the app version, so we said, ?Let's bring them a better experience.'

"The target demographics is spread out, with the Web version aiming at 14-24 and a bit older for mobile applications, 17-30."

More than 22 million iPhones have been sold since the device launched in June 2007, and iPhone applications have been downloaded more than 1 billion times since the launch of the App Store on in July 2008.

Apple's iTunes currently features more than 55,000 mobile apps, of which 43,000 are paid, and iPhone owners download an average of 37 applications per phone.

EBuddy is available in more than 30 languages and is currently processing more than 6 billion messages per month, with more than 20 million unique monthly visitors with AIM, Facebook, Gtalk, ICQ, MySpace, MSN Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo IM accounts.

EBuddy offers two versions of its mobile IM client, the J2ME version, eBuddy Mobile Messenger, and the mobile Internet version, eBuddy Lite Messenger.

Based in Amsterdam with additional offices in London and San Francisco, eBuddy is a privately held company backed by Prime Technology Ventures and Lowland Capital Partners.

Features of eBuddy for iPhone include the ability to switch between chats by swiping the screen, shake the iPhone or iPod touch to send a buzzer, get new message alerts and typing alerts in the chat screen and ush notifications for incoming messages when users exit the app (initially for 30 minutes).

According to statistics from Distimo, the app store analytics company, the eBuddy for iPhone application -- in the free social networking application category -- is currently ranked No. 1 in 21 countries, within the top 5 in 31 countries and within the top 10 in 37 countries.

EBuddy also has an application for Google's Android, and its BlackBerry app will come later this year.

"There's a transparent market in the App Store, and you have to react fast and introduce the right product at the right time," Mr. Rueb said. "Without any active marketing from outside, within a week we're now the No. 1 free social networking app for social networking in more than 21 countries worldwide.

"Ad support will come in the future, but our first focus is getting traction with our user base, and within a couple months we'll start monetizing, either through a paid version with extra features or ad support," he said.