Sprint today launched the Sprint Network and Product Services Sandbox, the first Sprint Developers Sandbox. The sandbox allows developers to take Sprint services and create “mash-ups” with other available third-party services to create innovative Web pages and applications.

Sprint said it will launch additional sandboxes in the Sprint Developer Sandbox that highlight other sets of development capabilities.

In addition, Sprint announced that it is expanding its open location platform with three additional companies to give developers more ways to create new location-based services for Sprint customers. Sprint launched its open location platform in December with Veriplace and WHERE, and today announced the addition of Alcatel-Lucent, LOC-AID and Useful Networks.

Sprint says these platforms protect the privacy and security of customers while offering third-party mobile, Web, WAP, SMS and widget developers a consistent way to create applications that use the customer’s location information with prior permission to provide customized information and services.

All of the platforms provide developers with tools to create and launch location-enabled applications, accelerating and simplifying certification and on-boarding applications that use GPS, triangulation and other location services to provide information to customers.

Sprint plans to hold its ninth annual Application Developer Conference later this year, marking the first time the conference will be open to the entire developer community. It will be held Oct. 26-28 in Santa Clara, Calif.