Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten

Wakoopa, a company I own shares in, today announced a new product/service. They now track usage on iPhones too. We all own iPhones at the office and I think it is a smart move to take advantage of the iPhones popularity this way. Here is the official press release:

PRESS RELEASE - Amsterdam, October 22 2007
Software startup makes iPhone usage transparent
Amsterdam-based company Wakoopa has announced today that it’s tracking worldwide iPhone usage. Since January, Wakoopa has been developing an online social network where software usage can be tracked. Next to Mac and PC software, it now also monitors applications for the new Apple handheld, the iPhone.

Social network
Wakoopa (http://wakoopa.com) is a social network specifically for software users. Wakoopa’s service enables people to track and designate what software they are using. This creates a “view rating” or usage indication of software. Visitors and members of this community can look at what software has been used for how long in their social circle, and which type of software is most popular at a certain moment.

Better choices
Wakoopa founders Wouter Broekhof and Robert Gaal want to make iPhone application more transparent with this new addition. Broekhof: “The iPhone truly is a revolutionary device that has inspired developers worldwide. We want to make the usage of these applications more transparant. Not only for developers, but for our users who will be able to make better choices when it comes to software”. Apple announced last week that developers from outside the company will be able to create iPhone applications in the future. Currently it’s already possible to create iPhone software in the form of web applications. Both these types of applications can be added and tracked on Wakoopa’s iPhone site (http://i.wakoopa.com).

Wakoopa
Wakoopa launched in May this year and has welcomed over 20.000 unique members since. The Dutch Creative Industry Fund (DCIF), an investment fund founded by the three largest Dutch media companies, invested in the company earlier this year. Shortly after, BusinessWeek awarded Broekhof (23) and Gaal (22) as “Europe’s Top Young Entrepreneurs 2007”.

Even if you don’t have an iPhone Wakoopa is still a great service to check out. I use it on my Mac and display a widget on my blog here showing what applications I use. When I visit Wakoopa I get suggestions of other interesting applications I could use besides or instead of my current software.

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