New Bamboo And Edenbee Create Unique Social Networking Site To Reduce Carbon Footprints

New Bamboo And Edenbee Create Unique Social Networking Site To Reduce Carbon Footprints


New Bamboo’s flexible approach enables rapid, cost efficient development of the technically complex web site.

New Bamboo, the specialist in bespoke software development using Ruby on Rails, has partnered with Edenbee to create a unique social networking site that empowers users to reduce their carbon footprints and track their progress. Using a combination of Ruby on Rails and New Bamboo’s flexible approach, the Edenbee web site has been rapidly developed against evolving requirements and kept within budget. Edenbee www.edbenbee.com will launch in the UK on 3rd March 2008.

“New Bamboo had the experience of social networking, the highly technical skill set and the enthusiasm that we needed to make the project work,” said David Hayes, Co-Founder, Edenbee. “New Bamboo’s flexible approach meant that we could develop the site rapidly, which not only allowed us to cut costs – critical in the launch phase – but also meant that we are able to incorporate all the elements that we wanted into Edenbee.”

New Bamboo worked closely with specialist consultants Clearleft, who created the user experience and the web site’s look and feel.

The first web site of its kind, Edenbee utilises the social networking model to empower end users to reduce their carbon emissions. Via the web site, Edenbees calculate their carbon footprint and then collaborate with other Edenbees about practical ways to reduce their emissions. Goals are then set by individuals, or by Edenbee, who also track progress and can send email reminders to keep users on target.

A technically complex carbon calculator forms the heart of the web site, based on the AMEE* API, which is recognised as the gold standard of carbon calculators. AMEE is utilised by the British government for its Act on CO2 initiative. “Following our project brief, New Bamboo not only identified AMEE but also had the technical ability to develop an interface for it with the look and feel we wanted. This typifies their ‘can do’ approach; they really got the brief, know that only the best will do and are as passionate about the success of Edenbee as we are,” added Hayes.

Max Williams, Co-Founder of New Bamboo said, “Edenbee is a fantastic project to be involved with and plays to all of our strengths: it involves making a new concept viable, utilises social networking, and necessitates a very flexible approach to development. We’re really pleased to have been able to contribute to the Edenbee community, and to help deliver this functionally rich web site on time and within budget.”

David Hayes concluded, “New Bamboo has enabled us to launch Edenbee with all the elements that we envisaged at the outset of the project; they turned our great concepts into great software. We look forward to working with them as the web site evolves.”