APIs are a hot topic among developers these days. Companies ranging from startups to large enterprises are offering them, and APIs have, to an extent, become the lifeblood of interdependent web services.
So how do you decide whether or not your company should offer an API?
To deliberate this question (and to learn about some of the tools available for offering APIs), we’ve turned to a panel of experts whose daily business is the building, distribution, management and monetization of APIs. Here’s what they have to say about choosing whether or not to offer that kind of access in the first place.
To API or Not to API?
Shanley Kane works on the product team at Api gee, a company that offers a range of API tools for developers and software companies.
She says the first thing to do when considering building an API is to identify the goals and audience for that API. “This will inform every step of the API strategy,” Kane says, “from design to go-to-market. Companies open APIs for many reasons — to encourage developer innovation, monetize data, connect with partners or get to mobile and connected devices. Setting out with a clear objective that is tied to business goals and has a defined target market — whether large partners or independent developers — is critical to successful API programs.”
Kane also says to keep an eye on your competitors. APIs are products like any other, and the current ecosystem of platforms and services is vast and intricate. If your API is meeting the same need as a competing product, Kane says you have to ask yourself what makes your service or your API diff erent — “How...
