Sprint Gives Developers Direct Access to Location, Messaging, Presence, Payments

Sprint has given four new partners direct access to Sprint's location, messaging, presence, geofencing, payments and additional APIs through one partner platform. The new solution enabler partners, LOC-AID, Neustar, OpenMarket and TechnoCom, will now have direct access to all of Sprint’s application programming interfaces. Sprint says the access is a first among carriers, and will simplify and accelerate the certification and on-boarding process for applications and solutions.

Separately, Sprint also agreed to allow extensive use of Google Voice features on Sprint handsets. What that means is you are one of Sprint’s 50 million U.S. customers, your Sprint phone number is now also a Google Voice number. And If you’re already a Google Voice subscriber, you can use that number on your Sprint phone without the need for any software.

When you make or receive calls, and forward that call to other phones if you’ve chosen those options. Google also takes over the voicemail for the phone, and long distance calls are completed by Google at Google’s very-low international rates. You can sign up here http://www.google.com/googlevoice/sprint/ to be notified of when the feature is available.

All those moves show a new willingness by Sprint to open up its platform for serious application development. Try to imagine another mobile provider of this size allowing Google Voice to replace the carrier's own voice messaging system. It would be unthinkable.

Sprint Community: International CTIA Wireless 2011