Yahoo! buys mobile phone networking firm Koprol

Yahoo! has announced that it has acquired Koprol, an Indonesian Internet service that lets people use mobile telephones to instantly connect with nearby people and places.

"Users are increasingly relying on mobile devices to communicate and access the Internet and they are looking for seamless integration between those devices and PCs," said Rose Tsou, senior vice president, Asia Region at Yahoo!

"Koprol was uniquely designed for mobile phones and within a year has already built a strong user base."

Yahoo! planned to use its global presence to introduce Jakarta-based Koprol to other parts of the world. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Koprol lets people "check-in" to locations using Web browsers on mobile phones and then see which other users are nearby and what they are doing, in a fashion similar to US location-based social networks Foursquare and Gowalla.

Koprol users can share tips, reviews, pictures or other information in real-time with other users in proximity.

Koprol provides tips about local businesses, such as popular shops or restaurants, based on user ratings including a "thumbs-up" feature that elevates favored places to the tops of the rankings.

Users of the service can also start or join discussions based on particular locations and invite friends to participate.

"We are excited to join Yahoo! and look forward to the opportunities being part of a global Internet leader presents," said Koprol co-founder Fajar Budiprasetyo.

"This is a great success story for the online community in Indonesia and demonstrates that innovation is recognized wherever it occurs."

(c) 2010 AFP