Twitter app plans will hit developers

According to Business Insider Twitter could buy or build its own photo-uploader and mobile app.

It quotes a source that said URL shortener Bit.ly, photo uploader TwitPic and iPhone app Tweetie are now considered core to the Twitter platform. The source said these apps will either be bought or competed with.

Twitter has already taken steps in this direction and has announced plans to launch its own URL shortening tool, which would compete head to head with Tinyurl.com and Bit.ly.

Twitter has to have its own URL shortening tool in order for its planned cost-per-click advertising business to take off. Twitter's advertising business is slated to launch during the first half of this year.

The piece speculates that a rival to the most popular Twitter photo uploading service TwitPic could most easily be built by Twitter engineers while it marks the Tweetie iPhone app as a possible acquisition target.

Future areas where developers could prosper on Twitter include social gaming where companies like Zygna, the maker of Mafia Wars, has had much success and vertical markets such as the successful Stocktwits.