API Economy
If you are a business owner whose company has an online presence and you’ve worked with, or are working with, a professional software or web development company, you probably know something about API integration. You know that APIs, or application programming interfaces, are easy, practical 
ways to make applications work together. You also probably know how important it is to integrate APIs into your website or application to give it greater functionality and make it easier for your customers to use. What you may not know is that APIs are influencing the entire internet as a model for quickly building and growing successful businesses.
The Beginning Of The API Economy
The term, “application programming interface,” has been around for a while; but the modern, web-connection version of APIs didn’t gain traction until the early 2000s. Salesforce.com and eBay.com introduced web-based APIs in 2000; and in 2002, Amazon launched its game-changing Amazon Store API, which allowed any developer to incorporate Amazon.com content and features into their websites, kicking off the modern web API movement. Small- and medium-sized merchants could sell and ship merchandise from their own websites without having to develop stand-alone eCommerce functionality.
The Next Wave
In 2006, Facebook and Twitter followed suit with their own open API strategies. The Google Maps application, released in 2007, proved so popular that Google released its Maps API less than 6 months afterward as a direct response to the number of rogue developers hacking the application. Since that time, APIs have seen massive growth and adoption. The internet has transformed from a network of websites owned and operated by unrelated businesses and individuals to an ecosystem of open APIs and applications that work together.
Benefitting From The API Economy
Becoming a user/consumer of other people’s APIs simplifies building your application, your website and your business. When you use open API integration, you are free to focus on what matters most – your own product or service. You can avoid needless distractions by outsourcing some functions. Eventually, you may even be able to develop and offer your own open API to empower web developers to build against your platform and enable you to make your own contribution to the API economy.
To find out more about APIs and the API economy, call us at Axis Software Dynamics at (469) 535-7500. We can show you how API integration can improve your website’s functionality and make your business more successful. To learn more about what makes Axis Software Dynamics different or to fill out an online contact form, visit us at axissoftwaredynamics.com.
