Sprint announced today several additions to its Application Developer Web site designed to give developers the tools needed to create innovative applications for Android-powered devices. The updated site will include implementation information for Sprint’s Android-powered devices and Sprint network and product services (location-based services, messaging, Geofence and more) available through the Sprint Developer Sandbox.

Developers utilizing the site and tools will easily be able to create and test applications for the Android platform on the Sprint network. The enhanced Web site will include information about Sprint’s Android-powered devices and will feature compelling applications that are available in Android Market.

In addition, the Sprint Open Developer Conference, Oct. 26-28 in Santa Clara, Calif., will include several sessions dedicated to Android development including information from HTC and Google(TM). The event is Sprint’s ninth annual developer conference. This year marks the first year the conference is open to the entire developer community. Developers should register.

The Sprint Developer Conference will provide compelling and useful tools that attendees can use immediately to develop applications, content, machine-to-machine devices and unified communication solutions relevant to the market. Developers will learn about current Sprint capabilities across devices, networks and platforms.

“Sprint continues to demonstrate its leadership in providing an open environment for developers to create and bring to market innovative applications for business users and consumers,” said Len Barlik, vice president of wireless and wireline services for Sprint. “With robust Android support on our application developer Web site and the upcoming launch of HTC Hero, Sprint has opened the door for developers to create Android applications that take advantage of the speed and reliability of the Now Network.”

HTC premiere sponsor of the Sprint Developer Conference

HTC and Sprint will give developers at the Sprint Developer Conference the opportunity to be among the first to own a HTC Hero. The first 400 developers to arrive at the HTC coding lab on Oct. 26 will receive a HTC Hero with one month of Sprint service. To qualify, developers need to show their laptop with the Android development environment (1.5) installed and ready for the hands-on lab session. HTC will give away a number of additional HTC Hero devices at its booth throughout the conference. To be eligible to participate in the HTC coding lab and receive a HTC Hero, participants must register to attend the Sprint Developer Conference at http://developer.sprint.com/devcon2009.

During its evening coding lab, HTC is teaming with Mark Murphy of CommonsWare to lead an Android platform training session. Murphy has published three guides on Android development and writes the “Building ‘Droids” column for AndroidGuys and the “Android Angle” column for NetworkWorld. He has more than 25 years of application development experience and has delivered conference presentations and training sessions on a wide array of topics internationally.

Google participation

Google will be a featured presenter at the Sprint Developer Conference. Android team members and technical subject matter experts from Google will lead developers in an in-depth technical discussion from 8:30 – 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The day will start with an update on Android and Android Market, followed by the technical session, led by developers on the Android team at Google, which will include an introductory discussion about the Android platform, how to write Android applications and sharing best practices.

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