Web Worker Daily

Fring, a provider of mobile VOIP and messaging software, is making a play for more web developers by creating an open API with its own dedicated site. Fring bills itself as offering “free mobile calls, live chat & presence” over your WiFi, EDGE, or 3G connection; basically, they take messaging and route it over IP instead of more expensive voice or SMS services. It offers a unified UI for Skype, MSN Messenger, GTalk, AIM, Yahoo, and more at no charge. The main Fring release targets Windows Mobile and Symbian devices, though there’s also an experimental version of jailbroken iPhones.

The Fring API offers developers the ability to build Fring add-ons, with access to the core Fring services like talk, chat, presence, and file transfer. This can give you a quick start if you’ve got an idea for a mobile social application - but with both the iPhone SDK and Google Android moving quickly, it’s going to be tough for Fring to compete for mobile developer attention.