Verizon opens up with developer APIs

US telco Verizon Wireless on Wednesday made a total of 20 different APIs (application programming interfaces) available to developers, opening up its network to new messaging and location-based services.

Verizon made the announcement at its Developer Community (VDC) Conference, taking place this week in Las Vegas. Messaging APIs will allow developers to create applications and services that send, receive and request receipt of text and multimedia messages, including features such as “link-to-buy” a product; while location APIs will allow developers to request and incorporate location information in applications and services on most smartphones at a granular level, or via ‘coarse location’, which has an average range of one to two miles and works with all Verizon Wireless phones.

“This new Verizon API opens the door to location access for a whole new class of developers that want to take advantage of location in the cloud,” said Tasso Roumeliotis, chief executive officer of Location Labs.