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Instagram
Original author(s)Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger (Burbn, Inc.)
Developer(s)Facebook Inc.
Initial releaseOctober 6, 2010; 13 years ago (2010-10-06)
Operating systemiOS 3.1.2 or later; Android 2.2 or later
Size1 MB
Available in9
TypePhoto & Video
LicenseFreeware
Websiteinstagram.com

Instagram is a free photo-sharing program and social network that was launched in October 2010. The service enables users to take a photo, apply a digital filter to it, and then share it with other Instagram users they are connected to on the social network as well as on a variety of social networking services.[1] Instagram currently has 100 million registered users.[2] A distinctive feature is that it confines photos to a square shape, similar to Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid images, in contrast to the 4:3 aspect ratio typically used by mobile device cameras.

Instagram was initially supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch; in April 2012, the company added support for Android camera phones running 2.2 (Froyo) or higher. It is distributed via the iTunes App Store and Google Play.[3]

In its largest acquisition deal to date, Facebook made an offer to purchase Instagram (with its 13 employees) for approximately $1 billion in cash and stock in April 2012,[4] with plans to keep it independently managed.[5] The Office of Fair Trading gave the deal the 'green light' on August 14, 2012,[6] and on August 22, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission in the United States closed its investigation, allowing the deal to proceed.[7][8] On September 6, 2012, the deal between Instagram and Facebook officially closed.[9]

History

Start-up

Instagram development began in San Francisco, when Kevin Systrom and the Brazilian Michel "Mike" Krieger chose to focus their multi-featured HTML5 check-in project Burbn on mobile photography.[10][11]

On March 5, 2010, Systrom closed a $500,000 seed funding round from Baseline Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz while working on Burbn.[12] Josh Riedel joined the company as Community Manager.[13] Shayne Sweeney joined in November 2010 as an engineer and Jessica Zollman was hired as a Community Evangelist in August 2011.[14][15]

In January 2011, Instagram added hashtags to help users discover both photos and each other.[16] Instagram encourages users to make tags both specific and relevant, rather than tagging generic words like 'photo' in order to make photos stand out and to attract like-minded Instagrammers.[17] In September, version 2.0 went live in the App Store (iOS). It included new and live filters, instant tilt shift, high resolution photos, optional borders, one click rotation and an updated icon.[18]

On February 2, 2011, it was announced that Instagram raised $7 million in Series A funding from a variety of investors, including Benchmark Capital, Jack Dorsey, Chris Sacca (through Capital fund), and Adam D'Angelo.[19] The deal valued Instagram at around $25 million.[20]

On April 3, 2012, Instagram for Android was released[21] and it was downloaded more than one million times in less than one day.[22] That same week, Instagram raised $50 million from venture capitalists for a share of the company that valued it at $500 million.[20] In next three months Instagram was rated more than one million times on Google Play[23] which was the fifth app ever to reach one million ratings on Google Play.

There are currently no plans to make the application available on the BlackBerry's current O.S. 7 devices, although it is probable that one will be available for the upcoming BlackBerry 10 devices.[24] Current alternatives for BlackBerry 7 devices include InstaPhoto,Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). LensBoost,Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). and Photo Studio,Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). two of which are available with various pricing.

Facebook ownership

On April 12, 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram for approximately $1 billion in cash and stock.[25][26] The deal, which was made just before Facebook was scheduled to go public, cost Facebook about a quarter of the cash-on-hand they had as of the end of 2011. The deal was for a company characterized as having "lots of buzz but no business model", and the price was contrasted with the $35 million Yahoo! paid for Flickr in 2005,[5] a website which has since become among the 50 most popular in the world.[27] Mark Zuckerberg noted that Facebook was "committed to building and growing Instagram independently", in contrast to its common practice of, as CNNMoney.com put it, buying "hot startups, kill[ing] their products, and redeploy[ing] their staff on other projects."[5] According to multiple reports, the deal netted Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom $400 million based on his ownership stake in the business.[28]

The exact purchase price was $300 million in cash and 23 million shares of stock.[29]

Popularity

Users

Basic image and elaboration through Instagram

By December 2010, Instagram had 1 million registered users.[30] In June 2011 Instagram announced it had 5 million users[31] and it passed ten million in September of the same year.[32] In April 2012, it was announced that over 30 million accounts were set up on Instagram.[33]

Instagram announced that 100 million photos had been uploaded to its service as of July 2011. This total reached 150 million in August 2011.[34][35]

Instagram recently made headlines with its efforts to keep the "Insta-universe" as a positive space and has prohibited any hashtags or photos that promote self-harm.[36]

There are basic Terms of Use that Instagram users must follow, including an age requirement of 13 years or older, restrictions against posting nude, partially nude, or sexually suggestive photos and responsibility for one's account and all activity conducted with it.[37]

There are also proprietary rights in content on Instagram. Instagram does not claim any ownership rights in the text, files, images, photos, video, sounds, musical works, works of authorship, applications, or any other materials (collectively, content) that users post on or through the Instagram Services.[37]

By May 2012[38]:

  • Each second, 58 photos were being uploaded
  • Each second, a new user was being gained
  • The total number of photos uploaded (since inception) was more than one billion

Musicians

On August 9, 2012, English musician Ellie Goulding came out with a new music video for her song "Anything Could Happen". The video contained fan submitted photos that used various Instagram filters that represented word or lyric from the song Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). and over 1200 different photos were submitted.

On September 8, 2012, one of the most popular Polish singers, Doda, launched her account.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).

Rich Kids of Instagram

The Rich Kids of Instagram is a blog on Tumblr that features photos posted on Instagram displaying "various states of excess, undress and indulgence".[39] Examples of the photos featured on this blog are receipts of over $100,000, kids in private jets or yachts, expensive shoes, watches, jewelry, etc.[39]

Weekend Hashtag Project

The 'Weekend Hashtag Project' is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram's Community Team.[40] Followers receive the weekend's project every Friday, and each project encourages participants to post creative photographs according to the designated theme each weekend.[40]

Effects

Normal
- No change
X-Pro II
- Warm, saturated effect. Emphasis on yellow.
Earlybird
- Faded, blurred, focuses on yellow and beige.
Lo-fi
- Slightly blurred, with yellow and green saturated.
Sutro
- Sepia effect. Emphasis on purple and yellow. Whole image made darker.
Toaster
High exposure. Some blurring.
Brannan
- Low key. Focus on gray and green.
Valencia
- Highly contrast, slightly gray and brown.
Inkwell
- Black and white filter with high contrast.
Walden
Washed-out color with a light blue overtone.
Hefe
- Classic color with gold and yellow overtones
Nashville
- A magenta-blue tint and a border
1977
- Somewhat pinkish overtone
Kelvin
- Super saturated, retro photo with scratchy border. Formally called "Lord Kelvin"

  • All effects are as of version 2.5.1 on iOS.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).

Businesses

File:Instagram Profiles.png
Instagram Profiles on Photoflow
A collage of an image modified with 16 different Instagram filters.

Instagram has spurred other startups as well. For example, Pinstagram, Webstagram and Photoflow are websites that allow users to view their Instagram accounts online. CanvasPop has launched an Instagram canvas printing option, as well as MoPho which allows users to print Instagram photos on a variety of photo products from an app.

A graphic design firm in Italy recently built a prototype for a physical digital camera, called the Socialmatic, with the housing designed to look like the Instagram icon. The camera is designed with 16 GB of storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability, the ability to interface with the Instagram app, and the ability to produce color prints. The project (apparently neither related to, nor officially commissioned or approved by, Instagram) seeks crowdfunding via Indiegogo, in order to be made available as a product.[41][42]

Add-Ons

Instamap
Instamap is an app available for iPad that allows users of Instagram to find photos based on their location or a hashtag. Results can be displayed in a gallery or linked to a map.[43]

100 Cameras in 1
100 Cameras in 1 is an app available for iPhone users that provides additional effects for photos uploaded to Instagram.[43]

Carousel
Carousel, for Macs, provides a live feed of Instagram on the Mac.[43]

Statigr.am
Statigr.am is a free app that provides personal statistics related to Instagram, including number of followers, likes, and comments, along with usage statistics.[43]

Photoflow
Photoflow is a full-featured Instagram Web Viewer which allows users to login to Instagram from their computer and view user profiles, their live feed as well as use features such as search, comment, and like photos.[44][45]

Instagram & Printing Instaprint offers a device which can be rented for social gatherings that allows users to print photographs on Instagram. Prinstagram will transform a user's Instagram collection into a poster or stickers.[43]

Awards

  • In January 2011, Instagram was the runner-up for "Best Mobile App" at the 2010 TechCrunch Crunchies.[46]
  • In May 2011, Fast Company listed CEO Kevin Systrom at number 66 in the "The 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2011".[47]
  • June 2011, Inc. included co-founders Systrom and Krieger in its 2011 "30 Under 30" list.[48]
  • In September 2011, Instagram won "Best Locally Made App" in the SF Weekly Web Awards.[49]
  • 7x7Magazine's September 2011 issue featured Systrom and Krieger on the cover of their “The Hot 20 2011” issue.[50]
  • In December 2011, Apple Inc. named Instagram "App of the Year" for 2011.[51]

References

  1. ^ Frommer, Dan (November 1, 2010). "Here's How To Use Instagram". Business Insider. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
  2. ^ "The Instagram Community Hits 100 Million Users". TechNews Daily. September 14, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  3. ^ Murph, Darren (April 3, 2012). "Instagram comes to Android, available to download now". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  4. ^ Stern, Joanna (April 9, 2012). "Facebook Buys Instagram for $1 Billion". ABC News. ABC. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Segall, Laurie (April 9, 2012). "Facebook acquires Instagram for $1 billion". CNNMoney.com. CNN. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  6. ^ "Facebook's Instagram bid gets go-ahead from the OFT". BBC News. August 16, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  7. ^ "How Instagram Could Have Cut A Better Deal". The New York Times. August 20, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  8. ^ "FTC Closes Its Investigation Into Facebook's Proposed Acquisition of Instagram Photo Sharing Program". Federal Trade Commission. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  9. ^ "Welcoming Instagram to Facebook". Facebook. September 6, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
  10. ^ Systrom, Kevin (October 7, 2010). "What is the history of Instagram". Quora. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  11. ^ Sengupta, Somini; Perlroth, Nicole; Wortham, Jenna (April 13, 2012). "Behind Instagram's Success, Networking the Old Way". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  12. ^ Siegler, MG (Marxh 5, 2010). "Burbn's Funding Goes Down Smooth. Baseline, Andreessen Back Stealthy Location Startup". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved October 4, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ Shontell, Alyson (April 9, 2012). "Meet The 13 Lucky Employees And 9 Investors Behind $1 Billion Instagram". Business Insider. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  14. ^ Siegler, MG (November 17, 2010). "Instakarma: Instagram Expands Team And Moves Into Twitter's Original Office". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  15. ^ Beltrone, Gabriel (July 29, 2011). "Instagram Surprises With Fifth Employee Small-staffed photo startup hires an early adopter to evangelize". Adweek. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  16. ^ "Introducing Hashtags on Instagram". Instagram Blog. Facebook. January 27, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  17. ^ "Instagram Tips: Using Hashtags". Instagram Blog. Facebook. February 16, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  18. ^ "Introducing Instagram v2.0". Instagram Blog. Facebook. September 20, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  19. ^ Siegler, MG (February 2, 2011). "Instagram Filters Through Suitors To Capture $7 Million In Funding Led By Benchmark". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  20. ^ a b Primack, Dan (April 9, 2012). "Did Facebook panic?". CNNMoney.com. CNN. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  21. ^ Honan, Mat; Rose, Brent (April 3, 2012). "Instagram for android arrives". Gizmodo. Gawker Media. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  22. ^ Blagdon, Jeff (April 4, 2012). "Instagram for Android breaks 1 million downloads in less than a day". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  23. ^ "Instagram". AndroidRank.org. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  24. ^ http://crackberry.com/dont-believe-everything-you-read-instagram-coming-blackberry-10
  25. ^ Primack, Dan (April 9, 2012). "Breaking: Facebook buying Instagram for $1 billion". CNNMoney.com. CNN. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  26. ^ "Facebook to Acquire Instagram". Facebook Newsroom. Facebook. April 9, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  27. ^ "Flickr.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  28. ^ Isaac, Marc (April 9, 2012). "Facebook Buys Instagram". Wired. Condé Nast Digital. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  29. ^ Protalinski, Emil (April 23, 2012). "Facebook buying Instagram for $300 million, 23 million shares". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  30. ^ "The Instagram Community – One Million and Counting". Instagram Blog. Facebook. December 21, 2010. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  31. ^ Siegler, MG (June 13, 2011). "At 5 Million Users, It's Hard Not To View Instagram Through A Rose-Colored Filter". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  32. ^ "The Instagram Community – Ten Million and Counting". Instagram Blog. Facebook. September 26, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  33. ^ "Instagram for Android – Available Now". Instagram Blog. Facebook. April 3, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  34. ^ "Testing, Testing…". Instagram Blog. Facebook. July 16, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  35. ^ "150,000,000 Photos". Instagram Blog. Facebook. August 3, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  36. ^ Nelson, Robert (April 22, 2012). "Instagram puts their foot down, bans self-harm promoting hashtags". TechnologyTell.com. GadgeTell. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  37. ^ a b "Terms of Use". Instagram.com. Facebook. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  38. ^ Infographic: Instagram Statistics 2012 | Digital Buzz Blog
  39. ^ a b Frank, Robert. "'Rich Kids of Instagram': Overserved and Oversharing". Yahoo!. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  40. ^ a b "Instagram Blog". Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  41. ^ Armenio, Rita (May 10, 2012). "Welcome Instagram Socialmatic Camera!". ADR-Studio.it. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  42. ^ "The Instagram Socialmatic Camera Concept Would Bring The Photo Sharing App To Real Life". TechCrunch. AOL. May 10, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  43. ^ a b c d e Kelly, Heather (June 3, 2011). "10 cool things to do with Instagram". MacWorld. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  44. ^ Sotruo, John. "Photoflow | Instagram Web Viewer". Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  45. ^ Harvell, Kevin. "Want To View Instagram Photos With Your Web Browser?". Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  46. ^ "Congratulations Crunchies Winners!". TechCrunch. AOL. January 25, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  47. ^ "The 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2011". Fast Company. Mansueto Ventures. May 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  48. ^ Lagorio, Christine (June 27, 2011). "Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, Founders of Instagram". Inc. Mansueto Ventures. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  49. ^ Swearingen, Jake (September 2, 2011). "SF Weekly Web Awards 2011: We Have Some Winners!". SF Weekly. Village Voice Media. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  50. ^ "The Hot 20 2011". 7x7. September 23, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  51. ^ Tsukayama, Hayley (December 9, 2011). "Apple names Instagram top app of the year". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
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