Tencent reaches out to app developers

Entrepreneurs and application developers from China will be able to fully utilize Tencent Holdings Ltd's vast number of online communities, consequent to the Internet giant opening its mobile-based social networks for outside developers from Thursday.

The Shenzhen-based Tencent said it will make available the online communities on its instant messaging service QQ to outside developers so that they can tap into the service's 380 million monthly active users and use creative ways to commercialize the large user group it has.

Dowson Tong, senior executive vice-president of Tencent, said China's online social network has evolved from groups of families, friends and other acquaintances to communities based on shared interests and hobbies.