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BY MALLORY PERRYMAN

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Skype is jumping on the group-texting train-- announcing it will buy mobile group messaging service GroupMe.

GroupMe is an app that works on Android, iPhone, Blackberry, and Windows Phone 7.

It lets you make conference calls and create group texts.

Details of the deal are under wraps-- but reports peg the price tag at around $85 million.

But it’s the timing-- rather than the tab-- that’s got techies talking.

“Of course, the elephant in the room here is that Skype itself is currently in the process of being acquired by Microsoft. That $8.5 billion [deal] was announced back in May.”

And that may be the deal behind this deal. A Know Your Mobile blogger suggests-- this is a win-win for Skype and Microsoft.

“Everybody is looking to nab a slice of the BlackBerry Messenger pie and GroupMe could be Skype's ticket to some of it. And even if not, it's yet another app that Microsoft (via Skype) could integrate into its Windows Phone 7 platform at some stage.”

Microsoft recently announced its own group messaging app called “We’re in”-- but a blogger for The Register points out, GroupMe might be a better bet for Microsoft.

“Going against We're In is the fact it's only for Windows Phone while GroupMe runs on devices competing with Windows Phone... Given the rising industry levels of excitement and paranoia about a Google versus Facebook war, Microsoft would seem very likely to keep Skype's GroupMe going.”

Finally, GigaOM says forget about how this benefits Microsoft. At the end of the day, the deal is a breath of fresh air for Skype.

“Skype has a big subscriber base, but it can’t bet on holding on to them forever. ...In buying GroupMe, Skype for now gets a chance to build a new mobile experience and hopefully find engagement and attention.”

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