Feedly announces a Cloud platform third-party apps can use for syncing and more

With Google Reader all set to retire on July 1, Feedly which used to be an RSS reader that supported Google Reader feeds allowing users to read it in a magazine-like format, has launched its much awaited Feedly Cloud platform (also codenamed Normandy).

The platform is an independent RSS reader service which will be the backend to Feedly and some other third party app that support the service. Along with the platform, Feedly also announced a Web version of the service that doesn't require the use of any special extensions and can work with all mobile and desktop browsers.

After Google announced that it will shutter its popular news feed service, Google Reader, Feedly had emerged as one of the first few to promise an alternative that would allow existing Google Reader users to migrate to its platforms without any disruption.

Feedly has also mentioned that it was working with developers to build an API to its Feedly Cloud service and has announced nine applications that support its service including, IFTTT, a service that lets users connect their Feedly account to 63 other services (including Evernote, Google Drive, Gmail, Pocket, Instapaper, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, WordPress, etc.), Sprout Social, a social media management platform that offers engagement, publishing and analytics tools for businesses from the browser, iOS and Android devices, and Nextgen Reader for Windows 8 and Windows Phone, a fast, clean reader app inspired from Metro UI.

Also using the Feedly Cloud platform are gNewsReader for BlackBerry 10 and for Symbian/MeeGo - two readers, Press a reader app for Android that also provides full offline support, gReader - a simple reader for Android,that offers themes, podcast and full offline support, Newsify - a reader app for iPhone or iPad, with a newspaper-like layout, Pure News Widget- a scrollable and actionable reader widget for Android, with multiples skins and Menere - a Windows Desktop client.

Feedly also informed that it is currently processing over 25 million feeds and crunching through billions of articles published everyday. Feedly claims to have a user base of 12 million, as of last month. Existing Google Reader users can migrate to the service by logging on cloud.feedly.com.

Interestingly, Digg, the popular news-sharing website has also announced that its own Google Reader alternative, Digg reader, will be rolled out next week as a public beta.

Feedly will also compete with services like NewsBlur and Bloglines.

Also see: Top 5 alternatives to Google Reader