MySpace has opened the doors to developers wishing to sign up to the upcoming MySpace Developer Platform.

The developer site is due to go live on 5 February and will provide APIs to allow developers to build and test applications in a live environment.

A MySpace Developer kick-off event and workshop at the company's new San Francisco offices will mark the launch next week.

A global rollout of localised versions of the developer site will follow in the coming weeks, according to the company.

The move is widely seen as an attempt to catch up with rival social network Facebook, which already has nearly 15,000 third-party applications and is a long way ahead.

However, industry watchers believe that the MySpace announcement represents an import signal of intent to give Facebook a run for its money, and could open up applications to other social networks.

Independent consultant Ben Metcalfe, who advised MySpace on its developer platform, believes that the new developer site will feature support for Google's OpenSocial APIs which allow applications to run on multiple social networks.

"I can appreciate that MySpace has not always been perceived as playing as well in this space as it could," said Metcalfe on his blog.

"However, in the run up to this launch, I have sensed a very different approach - one that understands the importance of playing well and being a good actor in the community."