Widgeo.us just launched its Developer Network website. In July 26th 2008, the Singapore-based start-up opened up its unified communication platform to third-party developers. The new Developer Network website provides a workspace for developers to manage their Widgeous applications. It also features step-by-step Getting Started guide and forum.

Widgeous consolidates various communication channels (eg. MSN, Twitter, email) onto a single platform. Application developers can then focus on designing and developing the functionality of their applications and leverage Widgeous platform to extend to more communication channels. Widgeous acts as an exchange, sitting in between end-users and third-party applications.

Widgeous Developer Network

Developers only need to code their applications, host the applications and then, connect to Widgeous API. This leads to time-saving, cost-effectiveness and enhance productivity for developers; they don’t have to worry about integration with different channels, track changes in channel’s protocols and learn different APIs for different channels. Also, Widgeous offers single interface for developers to handle incoming and outgoing messages from multiple channels. (Read here for more on Widgeous).

Widgeo.us Developer Network Goes Live originally appeared on GreyReview on August 23, 2008.

Widgeo.us brings together communication channels (eg. email, SMS, MSN Messenger, Twitter, Google Talk and Facebook Chat) into one platform. Orgoo also pulls together IM, emails, SMS and voice into an integrated Web-based messaging platform. So is Chatterous, which consolidates IM, phone and email to enable group chat. However, Orgoo and Chatterous focus on messaging, whereas Widgeo.us, a Singapore-based start-up, creates a cross-channels communication platform and extends it beyond messaging by allowing applications to leverage its capabilities (applications already running on Widgeo.us are dictionary, language translation, weather, chat-room and Hangman game).

Each application has its own set of commands. These commands are used to instruct the application for results or actions. For example, to get a definition of, say, ‘homeostasis’, type ‘dictionary define homeostasis‘ in the Widgeous device. Alternatively, you can ‘direct message’ Widgeous bot on Twitter with the similar command-line; Widgeo.us will ‘direct message’ you the answer on Twitter.

Figure 1 below simplistically illustrates the Widgeo.us ecosystem, which consists of three key elements – Applications, Channels and Users.

Consider Widgeo.us as a residential neighborhood and the Channels are modes of transport – on foot, bicycle, motorcycle, Segway, car, bus and taxi. Residences (Users) are using these modes of transport to go to amenities / facilities (Applications) within the neighborhood. In the town of Widgeo.us, the amenities and facilities are easily and readily accessible by various transportation options. Availability of efficient transportation and quality amenities / facilities enhance quality of life, and thus, increases the value of the neighborhood. Similarly, in the case of Widgeo.us platform, its value is dependent on the variety of channels and diversity of applications.

Figure 1: The Widgeo.us Ecosystem

Platform Play

Applications with noticeable increase in usefulness when accessibility increases can benefit the most from Widgeo.us. Developers only code once and their applications are accessible across multiple channels. This save time and effort. With Widgeo.us, developers can focus more on developing application functionality.

To catalyze the growth of its applications, Widgeo.us has opened up its platform to third-party application developers on July 26, 2008. The on-going Hackathon contest aims to spur interest among developers to develop applications for its platform and winners get cash prizes (and ‘publicity’). Recently, the Singapore Symposium on Computational Biology has used Widgeo.us for its participants registration.

The founders of Widgeo.us are CEO Ridzuan Ashim and CTO Chua U-Zyn. The company obtained its seed funding from Thymos Capital LLP, a private business incubator. Widgeo.us launched its private beta on May 21 2008.

In a nutshell:

Widgeo.us Open Up its Communication Platform to Developers originally appeared on GreyReview on August 2, 2008.