International IT experts select best mobile applications for UN-based World Summit Award Mobile
Jakarta, 7 September 2012
Mobile apps have become a lot more than fancy gimmicks. But what is the world’s best when it comes to mobile? This year, Indonesia’s Harpoen has been nominated for the World Summit Award and will compete for its place among the world’s best mobile applications and content.
Harpoen makes spaces social. Its unique “digital graffiti” concept allows users to leave “harps”, or virtual tags anchored to certain locations. It is a way to communicate with the future, and to connect people to the history, recommendations, and opinions about their current surroundings.
People from previous eras told their stories through images and carvings on stones and rocks. They left marks at certain locations to inform future visitors of what to expect there. Harpoen simply leaves digital marks.
Harpoen soft-launched for iOS in March and has since amassed tens of thousands of user-created “harps” that cover the cities of Jakarta and Bandung.
International jury decides
In September, an international jury of renowned IT experts and industry leaders will evaluate the nominated product. Jury members come from all continents and have backgrounds in the creative industries, telecommunication, advertising, journalism and research, as well as in teaching. The jury also includes representatives of international organisations in the ICT-for-development field.
“Consequently, it is not a product’s commercial success that matters most for the jury”, emphasizes Peter A. Bruck, Chairman of the WSA Board. According to Bruck, the Grand Jury will judge the value of the content as well as the product’s design and its technical realisation. Furthermore, each nominee’s contribution to bridging the digital divide will play a central role for the jury.
“WSA-mobile’s goal is to find out what works in different markets and in different parts of the world and what really makes a difference for the people in remote villages and global megacities. We want to show to decision makers what can be done to foster mobile’s potential to create a true information society”, states Bruck.
On top of the mobile world
For Indonesia’s producers, the WSA-mobile is a chance to raise global awareness for their products and enter the international stage. Those projects that will come out on top of the Jury’s decision will be invited to the WSA-mobile Winner’s Events taking place February 3rd to 5th 2013 in Abu Dhabi. The event will host an exhibition, offering a platform for the awardees to present their services and projects to potential partners and investors. Furthermore, the event will include a conference attended by renowned experts, opinion leaders and government representatives, turning Abu Dhabi in the hot spot of the mobile world.
About Harpoen:
Designed, coded, and launched in Jakarta, Indonesia, Harpoen is an iOS application which connects the physical and digital worlds and makes spaces social. For enquiries or content partnerships, please contact J.P. Ellis, jp@harpoen.com, +62 21 3193 1728
About the World Summit Award Mobile:
Organised by the International Center for New Media (ICNM) in Salzburg, the World Summit Award Mobile is a global initiative within the framework of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The award takes place on a biannual basis, in collaboration with UNESCO, UNIDO, UN GAID and WSA-mobile’s key partner Abu Dhabi Systems & Information Center. For enquiries or media partnerships, please contact Mr. Matthias Gruber, gruber@icnm.net, +4366263040835.
