MOBILE NETWORK OPERATOR Vodafone is opening up the source code to its Wayfinder location-based services in a bid to drive development.

The Wayfinder source code will be released to app developers through github and Vodafone said that it is liberating it for altruistic reasons as opposed to just chucking the tech it had spent so much time and money on in the bin.

In a statement released to highlight the open source availability the firm said that it was giving other companies the opportunity to use a code base that had seen more than a decade of development. It explained that these firms can then use its code to create new and innovative navigation tools.

“Given our decision to stop developing turn by turn location based services as part of our core business, it seemed an obvious choice to make the code we own open source,” said Pieter Knook, director of Internet services at Vodafone Group. “We look forward to seeing its continued use in all sorts of different applications in the future.”

Vodafone reached out a hand and drew one of its friendly developers into the release party. Eduard Sanchez, chief executive of mobile solutions for the developer for the sight impaired Code Factory said, “At Code Factory we welcome this Vodafone initiative and we are willing to add new products to our accessible navigation software product line. Mobile Geo, our GPS solution for Windows Mobile has become a world reference among the blind community and we are now ready to start new GPS projects”.

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