Doodle, a Web 2.0 scheduling tool, has just launched a new API allowing developers to access their core functionality. The proposition has always been simple: you create a poll for a potential meeting time, and let people fill in when they're available.

Michael Näf, founder and CEO of Doodle, said that opening up the company’s technology to outside development, and challenging programmers to get creative, would further extend the benefits of using Doodle’s scheduling programme for business and personal use. Their hope is this new API will enable developers to integrate Doodle into mobile platforms such as Blackberry, whilst also creating new and complementary apps which will improve scheduling of meetings, conference calls and social events.

The documentation of the API is relatively sparse - but looks to be a standard RESTful affair, with OAuth in place for authentication. For developers interested in giving it a go, they're running a competition for the API launch (running till 14 April) offering the chance to win prizes including a weeks stay in Zurich (where Doodle is based), a conference pass for the 2009 JavaOne Conference held in San Francisco, and a Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.

You can find out more about the competition and the API on the Doodle website.