- Loopt
Infobox Company
company_name = Loopt
company_
company_type = Private (venture-backed)
foundation =2005
location = Mountain View,California
key_people =Sam Altman , CEO
industry =Geosocial networking
homepage = [http://www.loopt.com/ www.loopt.com]Loopt is a company based in Mountain View,
California . It provides acellphone -basedGPS sharing system that allows users to visualize one another using their cell phones and share information. Loopt is available onBoost Mobile ,Sprint Nextel ,Verizon , selectBlackBerry devices, and theiPhone .The company was founded in 2005 and received initial funding from
Y Combinator . Loopt has completed Series A and B financing led bySequoia Capital [cite web|url=http://www.sequoiacap.com/company/loopt/|title=Sequoia Capital provides funding to Loopt] andNew Enterprise Associates .In February 2008, Loopt and CBS did a deal to deliver location-based advertisements.
History
Loopt began in Summer 2005 with seed funding from Y Combinator. Loopt received $5 million in Series A funding from Sequoia Capital and New Enterprise Associates and struck a deal to launch the service on Boost Mobile devices in September 2007. In August 2007, Loopt expanded the service to select Sprint phones, and in June 2008, to Verizon. Loopt received $8.25 million in Series B funding in July 2007.
At Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in June 2008, Sam Altman presented the Loopt application for the iPhone. Loopt for the iPhone became available in the Apple AppStore on July 11, 2008.
Products and Services
Loopt's
geosocial networking services show users where friends are located and what they are doing via maps on their mobile phones. It is available on select devices across Sprint/Nextel, Boost Mobile, Verizon, and MetroPCS, as well as the iPhone and the BlackBerry.Mobile application: the Loopt software, with the exception of the iPhone (as of 9/08/2008), provides real-time location updating. Users can update location and status and share with friends.
Website: Loopt provides a web portal which is synchronized with the mobile version of the service.
Facebook Application: The application was developed in 2008 for users to share location with friends in the Facebook network.
Twitter and Facebook Integration: Status updates with a location link can be sent via Loopt to a user's Twitter status or Facebook status.
Loopt for the iPhone: In addition to the location and status updating, Loopt integrated Yelp content into the iPhone version of the service. the iPhone application was also the first to have Twitter integration.
MS Invitation Issues
Users of Loopt must register their cell phone number, full name, date of birth and email address. Loopt's Privacy notice states that users can control who receives geo-location information via privacy settings.
Loopt sponsors Black20.com's The Middle Show with host Dave Price.
At WWDC 2008 (Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference) on
June 9 ,2008 , Loopt announced an iPhone native application. When released, the software quickly gained notoriety for sending SMS invites to users' address books without, it seemed, the user's knowledge. More upsetting, the SMS service failed to respond to the industry required STOP message. [cite web|url=http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/07/loopt_social_ne.html|title="getsatisfaction.com: How can I never receive another Loopt SMS invitation ever?"]Merlin Mann complained, "I'm getting SMSs from Loopt users asking me to be their friend or whatever. I never asked for this. SMSs cost money."Loopt responded to complaints with, "Your friend may contact Loopt at privacy@loopt.com to request that Loopt remove this information from our systems." [cite web|url=http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/42288438/loopt-sms-mess|title="The Loopt SMS Mess"]
On July 14th, 2008, Loopt posted to its blog that the mass invites could be attributed to a confusing user interface, and they are working on an improved invitation flow. The comments, however, point out they continue to ignore STOP messages. [cite web|url=http://loopt.typepad.com/loopt/2008/07/iphone-invite-c.html|title="Loopt In: iPhone Invite Confusion"] Respect for STOP was announced July 15th, 2008. [cite web|url=http://loopt.typepad.com/loopt/2008/07/sorry-everyone.html|title="Loopt In: Improved iPhone Invites"]
References
*cite news | url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120666235472370235.html?mod=googlenews_wsj | title=Phones Will Soon Tell Where You Are | publisher=
Wall Street Journal | author=Amol Sharma and Jessica Vascellaro | accessdate=2008-06-10
*cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/06/technology/06mobile.html?_r=3&ref=technology&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin | title=In CBS Test, Mobile Ads Find Users | publisher=New York Times | author=Laura M. Holson | accessdate=2008-06-10
*cite news | url=http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1812954,00.html | title=The Cheaper, Faster iPhone | publisher=Time | author=Josh Quittner | accessdate=2008-06-09
*cite news | url=http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/04/location-technologies-primer/ | title=Location Technologies Primer| publisher=TechCrunch | author=Eric Carr | accessdate=2008-06-10
*cite news | url=http://www.technewsworld.com/story/54244.html | title=Start-Up Offers Cell Phone Mapping Service | publisher=TechNewsWorld | author=May Wong | date=2006-11-14 | accessdate=2007-01-12
*cite news | url=http://news.com.com/Mobile+phones+that+track+your+buddies/2100-1039_3-6135209.html | title=Mobile phones that track your buddies | publisher=News.com | author=Marguerite Reardon | date= 2006-11-14 | accessdate=2007-01-12
*cite news | url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Technology/New-service-tells-buddies-locations-on-a-cell-phone/2006/11/14/1163266537262.html | title=Startup Offers Cell Phone Mapping Service | publisher=Sydney Morning Herald | date= 2006-11-14 | accessdate=2006-01-12
*cite news | url=http://tech.msn.com/products/article.aspx?cp-documentid=922748 | title=New Ways to Keep in Touch by Cell Phone | publisher=PC World | author=May Wong | accessdate=2007-01-12External links
* [http://www.loopt.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.apple.com/iphone/appstore/ iPhone App Store featuring Loopt]
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