Taxi-hailing app Lyft is following in the footsteps of Uber and opening up its API to third-party developers, enabling them to build on its platform, with Facebook Messenger announced as its first partner.

The integration with Messenger will enable users to order a minicab from within Facebooks app, a move that Uber made around 18 months ago when it also enabled external developers to access its API.

While Lyft seems to be lagging behind its main rival in this regard, it is making fast progress. The team in charge of partner integration was only hired six months ago, and has since announced a partnerships with Slack, Starbucks, GM and Waze, as well as ride exchange schemes with Indian and Chinese taxi-hailing services Ola and Didi Kuaidi.

“Today, were excited to launch the Lyft Developer Program,” said a Lyft spokesperson. “Available to a handful of developers for a few months, were now inviting developers everywhere to build on our platform, make it even easier to request a reliable, affordable Lyft ride, and follow in the footsteps of our newest marquee partner, Messenger.”

“Were seeking all types of developers to help us bring about the future of transportation and create the most clever, helpful, innovative new ways to request a Lyft. Whether thats travel apps, dating apps, dining apps, sports apps, finance apps – the skys the limit.”

While Lyft is looking to partner with a wide range of apps to streamline the way customers make use of its service, the announcement also signals the increasing use of Messenger as a platform for other services.

Many Asian messaging services like WeChat, Line and KakaoTalk already integrate a huge number of other services into their platforms, from taxi hailing to mCommerce and payments. While Messenger has made moves to add similar functions, these have so far been tentative and not seen huge adoption.

This kind of app integration has the potential to become one of the next major battlefields for app developers, as more and more companies sign exclusive partnerships giving one service access to its existing users.