Yahoo! will join the OpenSocial application platform championed by Google. The search giant is also partnering with Google and MySpace to create a non-profit support body, the OpenSocial Foundation. Its role, they say, will be to support the OpenSocial project by creating and managing forums to discuss applications and development techniques. It will run as a non-profit body, with assets to be declared and assigned by Jul 1.
Heralded by Google as the next step towards true cross-platform interaction, OpenSocial is a set of specifications that lets developers create and run applications across any participating social network. A range of social networks have joined its platform, including MySpace, hi5 and Friendster, and Google claims that more than 200m users currently use applications that are part of OpenSocial. Facebook, however, is notably absent from the project.
Common technical specifications for social networks benefit both developers and users and helps create a more involved and rich online community, says Yahoo! vice-president of platforms Wade Chambers.
Via StrategyEye
