Today Nimbuzz launched a new Java and Symbian handset client that works across an almost unfathomable 500 handsets. To put this is perspective, most Mobile VoIP providers are lucky if they can offer their services across one, maybe two different mobile operating systems.

I first wrote about Nimbuzz in January, when I first started using the client. At the time, my thoughts were:

As with many services, one of the biggest drawbacks is that you have to hope that your friends, relatives, colleagues, and or clients also have the client in order to reap the true benefit of the client. Although it can be used to connect with other softclients, the ability to make a Nimbuzz to landline or cellular call is unavailable. In addition, you must have an Internet capable phone. Nimbuzz is already popular in Europe, but something tells me it is going to have an even tougher time then Skype gaining acceptance in North America.

Now even with this massive push, Nimbuzz faces some stiff competition from folks like Mig33 and fring, both of which have a large, established user bases. Fortunately, Nimbuzz has $10 million in VC to use to gain market share (which is the name of the game with mobile VoIP providers) and with such a wide variety of compatible handsets, they should prove to be a handful for their competitors.