Yahoo has acquired Indonesia-based mobile, social and location-based technology company Koprol for an undisclosed sum.
The acquisition will extend Yahoo’s social and local offerings on mobile phones globally. Similar to other location-based social networks, Koprol allows users to “check in” to their current location and keep track of their friends.
The service also lets consumers search for local businesses, including restaurants and stores, then rate these establishments with a “thumbs up” or through user generated reviews. Consumers can also invite friends to discuss businesses.
Koprol aggregates a database, created by its users, of locations within cities so consumers can find friends or discover businesses and neighborhood resources. Yahoo plans to use Koprol’s community database to make its homepages more local, according to a Yahoo statement.
Yahoo will also invest in developing Koprol’s service to bring it to more mobile phones. The company, which released a BlackBerry application on May 25, is also in the process of developing an iPhone app.
Koprol said on a company blog that consumers “can expect our planned features to be delivered faster than previously thought.”
A Yahoo representative could not be immediately reached for comment.
