GoPro cameras are about to get a lot more useful.

SAN FRANCISCO — You may soon have a lot more options to control your GoPro.

GoPro introduced a new developer program Thursday that will allow apps to integrate directly with their action cameras, the company announced at a press event in San Francisco.

The developer program allows companies to integrate with GoPro through software and hardware. If you're an app maker, you can build camera controls, video previews and file management into your app. If you make hardware, the developer program makes it easier to create accessories, which also have access to core camera functions. GoPro is also offering a toolkit to enable manufacturers to make mounts for the cameras.

Early developer partners include names like BMW and Fisher-Price. BMW used the company's app and device tie-ins to create an app called M-Laptimer, which analyzes driving stats — like speed and location — when a GoPro is connected to a car.