[img src="" caption="" credit="" alt=""]Ringside Networks, a new company founded by Bob Bickel, a former Java pro for JBoss, is planning a launch Tuesday for an open-source “social application server” that will help developers run applications built for particular websites, like Facebook, reported CNET's Matt Asay and Martin LaMonica. Ringside finds that, among the 19,000+ third-party applications built for Facebook alone, there is a clear opening for an agent such as itself to deliver devoted server strength for such developments.
The company is making it particularly easy for coders to build and run applications on Facebook’s platform by utilizing it’s so-called “social application engine,” which enables the transfer, or “sharing,” of Facebook user information. Also, Ringside intends to deliver OpenSocial integration with its services as well, which “will allow the server to tap into other social networks such as MySpace, Orkut, and Bebo,” the company’s founder explained. Ringside will establish its OpenSocial connections in Q2 2008.
Perhaps Ringside’s most biggest advantage for the application developers it strives to attract developers is its inherent devotion to open-source with respect to data access and its willingness to adapt and grow to encompass all types of applications, be they Facebook-specific or created to more broadly address user needs and demands across numerous social networks.