Plazes
Encyclopedia
Plazes AG is a Berlin, Germany based geosocial networking
site. Plazes allows users to post their location and current activities and share this information with other Plazes users via computers or mobile telephones. On 23 June 2008, Nokia Corporation announced plans to acquire Plazes.
: a Web-based API that advised users of the current location of other Plazes users; and a launcher API that allowed users to create their own Plazes launchers. In January 2005, Plazes introduced a Moveable Type plugin that allowed users to automatically include or add their location to blog postings. In June 2005, Plazes created an API that allowed users to access photos from their Flickr
accounts and to add those photos to their Plazes accounts. A Flickr group of Plazes users quickly sprang up. In 2006, Plazes was awarded the LeadAward in Bronze in the Category “WebLeader 2006″.
, Twitter, Google Maps
, MySpace and on the user's blog.
The Web interface allows users to invite others to join Plazes. Plazes can search a user's Gmail
, Yahoo or Hotmail
or Microsoft Outlook
contacts and send invitations to these contacts.
Plazes allows users to create groups or to join an existing group of Plazes users. Under the Groups tab, Plazes suggests groups that the user may wish to join, as well as offer the user the opportunity to search for existing groups. If the user wants to create a group, the user will need to select a group name and a draft a brief description of the group. The user may add an image to the group to help differentiate it from other groups.
Plazes has a radar function that allows users to discover other Plazes users that are located near the user's current location. The Plazes Radar generates a list of the locations close to the user's current location and lists the number of Plazes users that have previously stated they were at that location. When the user clicks on the location name, information about the user that was at that location is displayed along with a description of the user's activity at the location.
devices.
. Nokia Maps became part of the Ovi service offering. On 23 June 2008, Nokia Corporation announced plans to acquire Plazes. As part of the acquisition, Plazes gained access to the millions of users that own a Nokia device. At the same time, Nokia gained technology and a research team that was on the cutting edge of the geosocial networking
trend. The acquisition closed on 15 July 2008. Post acquisition, Plazes became part of Nokia's Services business unit. The Plazes service has yet to be fully integrated into Nokia's Ovi service; the Plazes service still operates separately at www.plazes.com and users still need to create a Plazes user name and password as well as an Ovi user name and password if they wish to connect to both services.
Geosocial networking
Geosocial Networking is a type of social networking in which geographic services and capabilities such as geocoding and geotagging are used to enable additional social dynamics. User-submitted location data or geolocation techniques can allow social networks to connect and coordinate users with...
site. Plazes allows users to post their location and current activities and share this information with other Plazes users via computers or mobile telephones. On 23 June 2008, Nokia Corporation announced plans to acquire Plazes.
History
Plazes AG introduced the beta version of the Plazes service on 16 August 2004. The service was continually updated and began to attract attention on technology blogs. In October 2004, Plazes introduced two APIsAPIS
APIS may refer to:*Advance Passenger Information System*Armour Piercing Incendiary Shells...
: a Web-based API that advised users of the current location of other Plazes users; and a launcher API that allowed users to create their own Plazes launchers. In January 2005, Plazes introduced a Moveable Type plugin that allowed users to automatically include or add their location to blog postings. In June 2005, Plazes created an API that allowed users to access photos from their Flickr
Flickr
Flickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
accounts and to add those photos to their Plazes accounts. A Flickr group of Plazes users quickly sprang up. In 2006, Plazes was awarded the LeadAward in Bronze in the Category “WebLeader 2006″.
Web interface
The Plazes Web interface allows users to post a location, the time of day they will be at the location and the activity they will be engaged in at the location. This informatin can be shared with people selected by the user, Plazes contacts or all members of the Plazes community. In addition to the Web interface, users can update their location using Plazer (see below), via text message or via m.plazes.com, the mobile Plazes Web site. Plazes users are able to publish their Plazes location on Fire EagleFire Eagle
Fire Eagle is a Yahoo! owned service that acts as a store for a user's location. It was created at Yahoo Brickhouse by a team which included among others Tom Coates, Simon Willison, and Seth Fitzsimmons....
, Twitter, Google Maps
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
, MySpace and on the user's blog.
The Web interface allows users to invite others to join Plazes. Plazes can search a user's Gmail
Gmail
Gmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure webmail, as well via POP3 or IMAP protocols. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though...
, Yahoo or Hotmail
Hotmail
Windows Live Hotmail, formerly known as MSN Hotmail and commonly referred to simply as Hotmail, is a free web-based email service operated by Microsoft as part of its Windows Live group. It was founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith and launched in July 1996 as "HoTMaiL". It was one of the first...
or Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
contacts and send invitations to these contacts.
Plazes allows users to create groups or to join an existing group of Plazes users. Under the Groups tab, Plazes suggests groups that the user may wish to join, as well as offer the user the opportunity to search for existing groups. If the user wants to create a group, the user will need to select a group name and a draft a brief description of the group. The user may add an image to the group to help differentiate it from other groups.
Plazes has a radar function that allows users to discover other Plazes users that are located near the user's current location. The Plazes Radar generates a list of the locations close to the user's current location and lists the number of Plazes users that have previously stated they were at that location. When the user clicks on the location name, information about the user that was at that location is displayed along with a description of the user's activity at the location.
Plazer
In March 2006, the Plazes launcher was rebranded as Plazer. Plazer allows Plazes users to update their location and current activities without having to log onto the Plazes Web site. Plazer is integrated with Skype; Skype users are able to publish their location on Skype via Plazer. Plazer is available for Windows, Mac OS X, iPhone and iPod touch, and Symbian. There was also a third-party Plazer available for Nokia's MaemoMaemo
Maemo is a software platform developed by the Maemo community for smartphones and Internet tablets. It is based on the Debian Linux distribution, but has no relation to it...
devices.
Acquisition by Nokia
In August 2007, Nokia announced that it was moving into the services field with the introduction of OviOVI
OVI may refer to:* Ohio Volunteer Infantry, volunteer regiment during the American Civil War* Operating a Vehicle under the Influence * Optically Variable Ink, anti-counterfeiting measure in currencyOvi may refer to:...
. Nokia Maps became part of the Ovi service offering. On 23 June 2008, Nokia Corporation announced plans to acquire Plazes. As part of the acquisition, Plazes gained access to the millions of users that own a Nokia device. At the same time, Nokia gained technology and a research team that was on the cutting edge of the geosocial networking
Geosocial networking
Geosocial Networking is a type of social networking in which geographic services and capabilities such as geocoding and geotagging are used to enable additional social dynamics. User-submitted location data or geolocation techniques can allow social networks to connect and coordinate users with...
trend. The acquisition closed on 15 July 2008. Post acquisition, Plazes became part of Nokia's Services business unit. The Plazes service has yet to be fully integrated into Nokia's Ovi service; the Plazes service still operates separately at www.plazes.com and users still need to create a Plazes user name and password as well as an Ovi user name and password if they wish to connect to both services.
See also
- geosocial networkingGeosocial networkingGeosocial Networking is a type of social networking in which geographic services and capabilities such as geocoding and geotagging are used to enable additional social dynamics. User-submitted location data or geolocation techniques can allow social networks to connect and coordinate users with...
- Location-based serviceLocation-based serviceA Location-Based Service is an information or entertainment service, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device....
- Nokia Corporation
- List of acquisitions by Nokia