Social networking service Mxit has launched an applications programmers' interface (API) that is also a software developers' kit (SDK), which it hopes will stimulate independent programmers to develop applications for it.
The launch took place late last week in Mxit's hometown of Stellenbosch, in the Western Cape. It was led by founder and CEO Herman Heunis and attended by about 150 programmers and software developers, ranging in ages from their late teens to mid-adulthood.
Heunis told ITWeb that the idea of creating the API took root about 15 months ago when it introduced a wireless application providers (WAP) gateway.
“That idea was partially successful. This was in part that we did not advertise it extensively and kept tight control over our core network. What we needed is the ability to scale massively that gives an application developer access to large numbers of users and players,” he said.
According to Mxit, the social networking service had 10 billion messages sent to mobile phones just during July. In the same month, 53 million photographs were transmitted and more than 710 million log-ins were recorded.
The service now has established operations in Kenya and Indonesia, and is also eyeing expansion into other markets.
However, ramping up to meet demand and keep Mxit attractive to its audience means massive investment in applications, and the route that the company has chosen is similar to that used by other applications providers such as Apple's iTunes.
What Mxit proposes to application developers is that they develop and host their applications and then use the gateway to access Mxit's millions of subscribers. The idea is that there is a revenue share split of 20/70 with the larger portion going to the developers.
Sayed Mohamed, Mxit product manager, said the idea is to keep the relationship between Mxit and the developers as simple and as transparent as possible.
“We are still finalising the commercials (agreements), but they will be standard and very simple to implement,” he said.
Mohamed pointed out that applications over social networks have to be able to scale very quickly, because if they are taken up by the subscribers then the developer has to be able to support them.
“We recommend that a developer finds a hosting company that understands this... however, we cannot recommend any particular hosting company in SA at the moment,” he told the developers.
Some of the developers in the audience grumbled that it appeared that Mxit was placing all the risk on them.
“A developer has to invest in a server (about R10 000), then buy a Microsoft .Net licence - another R1 000 to R2 000 - then find a hosting company. All that could mean they are out of pocket before even having tested the idea,” one developer said.
Heunis responded by saying that Mxit carries the cost of testing the application for at least 2 500 different models of cellular phones and that it handles all the licensing requirements.
Another developer said since mobile phones offered the only online connectivity for millions of South Africans, there was definitely an opportunity. “What I am busy with is a recruitment application that will help people who have no Internet connectivity to forward CVs,” he said.
Other developers said the window of opportunity for such application development within the social network services environment was limited.
“I believe we have a two-year window to develop apps and then make money,” a third develop said.
Heunis said Mxit was in talks with a number of universities where the development of apps would become a project for students in their final years.
“The possibilities with this app store are almost endless,” he said.
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