APIs

We have been talking about API’s as products, and for many companies, APIs are as important as their tangible products. Many tech start-ups have only one product – their API.  And for those companies that focus heavily on data, APIs are becoming THE product the company relies on. 

It’s been a fun ride since joining Mashery in the early days of 2008 and being part of our growth and the success of our customers.  We’ve launched well over 200 API programs over the years, and I’ve had a front row seat to many of them.  Some of our client friends at those early customer projects have been promoted given the success of their visions.  That’s super rewarding to have been a part of. 

APIs aren't just changing business; they're changing how we work and interact with each other every day. They're creating new opportunities for partnerships and extending brands' reach and revenue, and executives from Marketing to IT need to understand how to use APIs to accelerate their companies and create new opportunities for growth.

We've seen tremendous activity in the API management space in the last few weeks with multiple acquisitions and a huge uptick in interest in all things API-related. But what exactly are APIs and why do they need to be managed? Our infographic below illustrates some of the background to this API phenomenon and how companies can successfully build there own revenue-generating platforms.

Yesterday’s article in the Wall Street Journal, titled “The Myth of the Omnichannel Retailer,” illuminated some startling facts about how many retailers are reaching their omnichannel potential. According to the a survey of 35 large retailers (more than $1B annual revenue) conducted by SD Retail Consulting, the gap between ideal omnichannel experience and execution is in reality still quite significant. Only 29% of U.S.

This guest post, written by Andy Thurai, originally appeared on ProgrammableWeb. Andy is the Chief Architect & Group CTO for the Intel unit responsible for Cloud/ Application security, API, Big Data, SOA and Mobile middleware solutions. You can follow him on Twitter at @AndyThurai.

Flying – it seems we all have a love-hate relationship with flying and the airlines that operate our flights.  For many of us, there is no way to get around having to fly, whether for business or vacation, so we can’t avoid the airlines.  Thankfully for frequent flyers, airlines have been trying to make things a bit easier – most of the major airlines now have put out an app that allows you to check-in to your flight, load your boarding pass, select your seat, etc.

This past weekend, Hacker News blew up again over the issue of gender bias in tech. Regardless of your views, it's clear there are still a lot more men employed as programmers than women. 

Forrester Research predicts that by 2016, U.S. cross-channel sales will be $1.660 trillion and that more than half of all retail sales will be either online or web-influenced.

APIs have helped the The Yellow Pages Group Canada (YPG) go from phonebooks to an online communications giant with exponential and continued growth. YPG began life as a directory publisher for Bell Canada in 1908.

Today is a very special beginning for me, for my fellow Masherites and really for anyone who has ever used an API, which I can assure you, is every one of you. This is “Day One” for Mashery as an Intel company. What this means is that Mashery is becoming part of Intel’s vision for creating an open ecosystem of software and services capable of accelerating innovation with Intel technology inside^Ⓡ.

Photo Credit: Set Them Free by Dennis Wunsch

With the baseball season now in full swing, the NBA playoffs underway and the Stanley Cup playoffs right around the corner, it is an exciting time for sports.  And for sports APIs.  In the past few months, there have been a number of exciting events that have brought sports data and sports APIs to center stage.

Photo of Rob Phythian and Dave Abbott, Founders of SportsData

Sports news happens 24-7. Perhaps the Final Four game is taking place and everyone’s checking the score.  Maybe Buster Posey’s stats went up, or Tom Brady just made a touchdown pass.  Fans who like to regularly follow their favorite teams need access to this information via the devices, apps, social networks, and/or media outlets of their choice.

Photo courtesy of siliconangle.com

Exposing data through APIs is a well-worn topic.  At Mashery, we talk about it literally all the time.  But we usually focus on a company exposing its own data sets through APIs to inspire innovation.  What we don’t talk about as often, is how whole industries can use APIs to increase productivity and efficiencies.