Ping: the app from the Balkans hoping to make the world safer

You probably think you’ve already got your fill of social media, but how about one that keeps you safe? That’s the idea behind Ping, a free app from Bosnian and Serbian innovators that notifies you of dangers heading your way.

The brainchild of Bosnian couple Dražen and Ivana Žigić, together with their Serbian colleague Stefan Šerbedžija, Ping allows users to notify others of any dangers they encounter.

Having only been launched earlier this month, Ping has garnered over 20,000 users and has already informed users about a range of security issues, including shootings and severe weather.

“At one point, we were fifth on the list of the best free social apps,” Ivana Žigić told Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN).

The concept of the app came to the Zurich-based couple in 2015 when they were planning a trip to France around the time of the Paris terrorist attacks in November.

“That attack was an impetus for us to think of something like this, since we couldn’t find anything similar on the internet,” Dražen said in an interview with BIRN, noting that while Ping cannot prevent an attack from happening, it can “add a level of security” in helping people to avoid potentially dangerous situations.

Although the app is currently only available for Android, the Ping team have big plans for the future, including linking the app with emergency services and adapting the software to be used in cars and offline.

Source: Balkan Insight