ImaHima was a mobile location-based
social-networking service created in 1999 and shut down in 2006. This service was launched by the Japanese company of the same name, founded by Neeraj Jhanji. This Japanese name means "are you free now?" This company pioneered the concept of sharing current status (location, activity, mood) among friends using mobile phones. Initially ImaHima started out as an "unofficial" service but was later accepted inside the walled garden of the Japanese mobile carriers (
NTT DoCoMo,
KDDI
() is a Japanese telecommunications operator. It was established in 2000 through the merger of , , and . In 2001, it merged with a subsidiary named Au, which was formed through the merger of seven automotive and mobile phone companies from t ...
,
Softbank
is a Japanese multinational Investment company, investment holding company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, that focuses on investment management. The group primarily invests in companies operating in technology that offer goods and services ...
). At its peak, ImaHima had over 500,000 users in Japan and was also made available in Switzerland and Australia. The service won a few awards including the coveted
Prix Ars Electronica in 2001. The fundamental patents for mobile checkin, status updates and location-based advertising pioneered by ImaHima were acquired by Facebook in 2013.
See also
*
Microblogging
Microblogging is a form of blogging using short posts without titles known as microposts or status updates. Microblogs "allow users to exchange small elements of content such as short sentences, individual images, or video links", which may be the ...
References
External links
ImaHima (Japanese)ImaHima (English)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Imahima
Defunct social networking services
Defunct microblogging services