WhitePages.com Makes Free Search API Available

WhitePages.com announced today that it is making its data available for free in a beta Web services API. To jump start development, WhitePages is sponsoring a contest awarding  either a 50" HD Plasma TV or a 15" MacBook¬¨¬®‚àö√ú Pro* computer for the best iPhone* application and the best social networking application. What are you waiting for - learn more within the WhitePages Web Developer Portal.

Developers will have to register for a usre account and apply for an APY key, but once you've got that administrative stuff taken care of, you'll be able to dig in to some serious data. In 2007 the company more than doubled the size of its database to nearly 180 million people which equals 80 percent of the U.S. adult population. Included in the company's database are 25 million at work listings which give consumers the flexibility to connect with others during the workday and offers an alternative to calling a home number when it is not convenient. Developers have the ability to submit 3 types of searches against WhitePages.com data including the ability to search by a person's name and location to return complete address and phone number and even reverse phone and reverse address search.

"WhitePages.com has always been focused on helping you find contact information for the people you care about," said Scott Ruthfield, vice president of engineering and technology at WhitePages.com. "The API enables people-centered developers to integrate the high quality data we provide into their own user experiences. Providing contact information in the context of other applications helps make the Internet a more connected place."