Social network sites engage OpenSocial

by Media Week, Media Week 06-Nov-07

Social networking outfits Bebo and Facebook have signed up to OpenSocial - the Google-led project aimed at developing services that work across social networks.

OpenSocial is a project that intends to unite social networks including
Bebo, MySpace and Google's Orkut into a common developer platform.

Should the project succeed, software developers will be able to develop

applications that will work on all of the sites signed up to OpenSocial,

rather than having to build separate ones for each site.

The OpenSocial move follows the creation of a mini-industry of
developers around Facebook that has actively encouraged people to
develop applications for use within the Mark Zuckerburg- controlled
outfit.

Joanna Shields, international president of Bebo, said that it was
crucial for sites to make life easier for developers.

Shields said: "Bebo supports open standards to make it as seamless as
possible for developers to reach our 39 million-strong community and
provide engaging features for our users."

Bebo said that OpenSocial is one of a series of developments it is
making as part of a move to increase the engagement of its community.