Square Announces SDK, Opening Its Platform Directly to Developers for First Time
Recognizing and looking to capitalize on the fact that some businesses may have needs its own software does not exhaust, Square announced on Thursday the release of the Square Reader SDK, which will allow developers serving brands and SMBs around the world to redesign the check-out experience in exactly the right way for their specific businesses.
“Ultimately, developers will use this SDK to help new types of businesses take payments with Square for the first time, help grow sales for existing sellers, and build more powerful and compelling experiences for both buyers and sellers,” a release circulated by Square stated.
The company hopes that opening its platform to external developers will encourage companies outside its current primary client verticals, such as retail and restaurants, to embrace the platform and make payments at their points of sale more efficient.
Square underscored transportation and healthcare as industries fit for disruption, noting that mobile tech vendors Infinite Peripherals and QuiqMeds have already built solutions on the platform for taxis and pharmacies.
For new and old clients alike, the SDK will allow POS innovation that will not only make payments more efficient for customers but also provide businesses novel customer insights. The platform is optimized to integrate with CRM and ERP systems.
“Square offers us a way to think outside of the box in terms of what’s possible for transactions and experiences in-Shack. We’re freed from the restrictions put on us by legacy products, and the Square suite of tools enables a variety of new opportunities,” said Anoop Pillarisetti, Digital Product & Strategy at Shake Shack, which is leveraging the platform to build out its check-out experience.
Square is one of the most highly valued enterprises creating technological solutions for small businesses.
Joe Zappa is Street Fight’s managing editor. Follow him on Twitter @joe_zappa.