Via TechCrunch, it’s getting crowded in some of these AJAX application categories. For a while, Meebo was the sole player in the AJAX IM arena, with only local chat apps playing at its ankles. No longer. A new competitor is entering the fray: Kool IM. While I was napping, a number of others have also crept up on Meebo:

In addition to Silicon Valley based Meebo and Amsterdam based eBuddy, ILoveIM, Germany based Mabber and other competitors are out there vying for the same user base. Luckily, users tend to rack up a lot of time (if not page views) with the service, allowing the companies to generate reasonable revenue from advertising – eBuddy claims to be profitable.

"Too early is the same as wrong," as the old Venture Capital maxim goes. I guess all these competitors are validating Meebo’s business model, just as they’re getting ready to eat it’s lunch.

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