If you’ve used Bump, the app that lets you exchange contact info with someone else, iPhone to iPhone, and wished it would work cross-platform, Bump Technologies is adding Android support for the Data Exchange API. While it’s one more step towards allowing ‘bumping’ between mobile devices of any platform, the API also supports other application uses.

Bump is one of several options for virtual business cards on mobile devices, and with around 10 million downloads, it’s one of the more popular choices. Where previously you could only ‘bump’ or exchange contact data between two iPhones, and now with iPads, you’ll be able to bump between any two Android, iPhone, and iPad devices. That is, once developers integrate these new API features. As the Bump Blog points out, slots for private beta slots are limited, so sign up quickly.

Bump Technologies co-founder Jake Mintz gave us some additional info in an email conversation: Over 800 developer keys have been provided for the original Data Exchange API. They only started taking requests for the new version supporting Android, so no figures are available. They do intend to support devices all major mobile platforms; however, nothing else is currently being announced. In the meantime, they have now passed 11 million downloads for Bump, on iPhone and Android devices combined.

The Bump API is versatile enough that it’s capable of more than just exchanging business cards. One example is a game, BUMPFour, that two friends can play against each other on iPhones or iPads. As well, the API allows for the exchange of photographs between devices. Bump also partnered with PayPal to offer a way for people to send money to each other via iPhone app (iTunes link). Most recently, they’ve created a chatting app, the source code of which is available on their Bump API resources page. Finally, if you want to see where bumping activity is taking place near you, try the BumpRADAR iPhone app, available from the Bump Labs page. In that vein, for a bit of entertainment, watch this data visualization video, which shows Bump and other geo-location mobile apps in action at the recent SXSW media conference in Austin, TX.

[via Techcrunch]