UpdateStar

Infobox_Software
name = UpdateStar
caption = UpdateStar
developer = UpdateStar
released = 2007
latest_release_version = 2.2.614
latest_release_date = Release date and age|2008|7|16
programming language = C++
operating_system = Microsoft Windows
genre = Package management system
license = Proprietary software
website = [http://www.updatestar.com/ UpdateStar.com]
status = Active
language = English, German, French, Italian, and others

UpdateStar is a freeware software application recognizing and providing update information for 95,000 software programs. Implementing a social computing aspect, the update database is maintained by the users. UpdateStar uses advertising to refinance the free service and shares ad revenue 50/50 with the software authors via their Share program.

Software can be searched, downloaded and updated. In addition, UpdateStar is a freeware client that can be easily installed to inform users about available updates for their individual softwaare setup. It allows downloading, installing and uninstalling the programs from within the client, which acts as a Windows Add/Remove enhancement.

The software search engine at http://www.updatestar.com/ is actually built on top of UpdateStar’s user generated software and up-to-date program database. Via the Ad revenue sharing program Share, UpdateStar allows and motivates developers to use the UpdateStar website as a download mirror to participate from ad revenue created on their program’s webpages.

History

UpdateStar was founded by Michael Ganss, Frank Alperstaedt, and Olaf Kehrer in 2007, and is currently based in Berlin. The software search engine website itself, however, did not launch until July 2008. The company is funded by the founders.The current version of the site was released in July 2008. This included new software search capabilities with results based on user submitted information for more than 95,000 programs, a new professional services business section, and a UpdateStar freeware client section.

UpdateStar freeware has grown in popularity with about 50,000 users in 2007 and about 550,000 users in 2008 (until mid-July).

UpdateStar released its latest version 2.2 in June 2008 introducing improved program recognition abilities and localized language versions.

UpdateStar is still privately owned by the founders.

Revenue model

UpdateStar uses the software search engine website to share ad revenue with software authors. Other professional services include software market research (Analytics) as well as targeted marketing services (Connect) to software vendors. This allows UpdateStar to provide their update information service for free to their user community.

Share - The ad sharing program

The UpdateStar website tracks created ad revenues on program pages. The Share program creates PPC based revenue streams. When users click on ads on a program’s download page in the UpdateStar web, the advertiser is charged and the advertising fee is split between UpdateStar and the software vendor, if the vendor participates as a Share partner.UpdateStar website’s user traffic comes from targeted alerts about newly available updates for used software and offering information and downloads. Traffic multiplies with the number of updates and users. This way Share software vendor partners participate repeatedly from revenue created with their content (their software) as long as they participate.

See also

* User-generated content

External links

* [http://www.updatestar.com UpdateStar]
* [http://www.killerstartups.com/Web-App-Tools/updatestar-com-simplify-your-software-life KillerStartups about UpdateStar]