Sensis dangles $2,500 prize for app developers

Sensis has launched a series of challenges to inspire developers to create viable apps, offering a $2,500 “bounty” for the concept that best utilises its API content and functionality.

Sensis API, or SAPI, is a service for developers who are seeking a business search API solution for Yellow Pages and White Pages business listings and advertising content.

SAPI is aimed at anyone who wants to provide local business search capabilities within their web application.

Earlier this year, Sensis partnered with Pollenizer in a bid to promote SAPI, hosting a two-day hackathon. 

Now Sensis has launched the SAPI Bounty Program – a series of creatively-themed challenges designed to inspire developers, entrepreneurs and designers to create viable apps.

The program was launched in a bid to find new, emerging channels through which Yellow Pages and White Pages advertisers can reach new audiences.

The first challenge of the program is: How will you survive and thrive during the inevitable zombie apocalypse? What do you need to know when the dead rise and walk the earth?

Competitors are required to create an application, website, widget or program in response to this.

As an incentive, SAPI is offering a $2,500 “bounty” to the competitor who can demonstrate integration, innovation and quality in the design and build of their application.

Competitors also need to show their concept makes the most of SAPI content and functionality.

Sensis senior product manager Tim Corr says the program is an attempt to broaden the SAPI hackathon experience “to developers anywhere in Australia”.

“This is an unprecedented program… and we can’t wait to see the applications that the topic attracts,” Corr says.

The competition, which is open to anyone in the world, kicked off on Thursday. Final applications must be submitted by 9am on Thursday, May 24. Participants can register here.

A new SAPI Bounty challenge will be posted every few months throughout 2012 to the Sensis Developer Centre blog.

Competition instructions for the first challenge are as follows:

• Entrants must first gain a Zombie API key by completing a SAPI key request.
• When applying for a key, entrants must work the phrase “Brains Yum Yum” into their application description.
• Entrants who have been granted a Zombie API key must then create an app that integrates functionality from SAPI.
• The app must be publicly available for judges to access (eg. Android Market, Apple App Store or internet) by the competition close date to be eligible to win.
• Sensis’ judging panel will assess entries based on five criteria: originality, usability and design, effectiveness, back story, and integration and use of SAPI.

The application should also take advantage of the functionality and geo-location features offered by the Yellow Pages and White Pages business directories.