Foursquare hits 3 million as LBS app shifts up a gear

Given the attention currently focused on the location market following the launch of Facebook Places, news that Foursquare's userbase has now surpassed 3 million will do the app no harm at all.

Indeed, such a figure as reported by TechCrunch would suggest Foursquare is gaining serious ground on current market leader MyTown, which hit 3.1 million users in mid-August.

The app appears to have received a serious boost following the unveiling of Places, with CEO Dennis Crowley having previously reported sign-ups had surged to their fastest ever rate in the days after Facebook's announcement.

Foursquare for all

On average, he stated Foursquare's userbase is expanding by 180,000 new users every 10 days a rate that would reflect the app's renewed efforts to get its name into the mainstream consciousness of late.

Foursquare recently unveiled ad advertising blitz in Times Square in New York, while retailers have also been encouraged to carry 'check-in here' stickers on their premises to raise awareness.

All in all, the new milestone represents a marked acceleration for Foursquare, with the app having taken a year to hit its first million this April.

Its second and third have come comparatively quickly, with today's declaration coming around a month and a half since the app topped 2 million users in July.

[source: TechCrunch]