The API Economy
Last updated on 2016-05-02
About the Book
The API space has produced an economy in it’s own right. There is obviously the monetary exchange from developer user to API provider. But looking deeper, partners to API programs have emerged that offer key components to support an API throughout it’s lifecycle, streamlining operations for the API provider and improving their overall developer program - strong evidence of an industry maturing.
Tune into case studies as we explore how agile businesses are using APIs to disrupt industries and outperform competitors. We’ll forecast into the future growth of the API industry, analyze the impact APIs have historically had on specific industries, and see where partners to API providers fit into the overall spectrum. This eBook also compiles our knolwedge on growth sectors impacted by APIs: We also examine specific sectors, like FinTech, healthcare, IoT, as well as others that have not yet been API-fied. If you are an economist, industry expert, architect, entrepreneur looking for a new project, or simply intrigued by the concept of disruptive APIs, join us as we analyze the state of the API economy and review exciting potentials using new web technology and innovative business partnerships.
*All proceeds from the sale of this eBook will be donated to the Salvation Army in Sweden.
Table of Contents
- Preface: Introducing the API Economy and the Business of APIs
-
Tracking the Growth of the API Economy
- Growth by the Numbers
- The Birth of B2D
- Growth by Sectors
- Analysis: Evidence of Market Maturity
-
11 New Breeds of Businesses That Have Emerged out of the API Economy
- 1: Company that Provides API to Developer Consumers as Top Priority
- 2: Company Whose Infrastructure Depends Heavily on Third Party APIs for Survival
- 3: Company that Supports APIs with Management Solutions
- 4: Companies that Specialize in API Testing and Monitoring
- 5: API Documentation-as-a-Service
- 6: Tools for API Development and Continuous Delivery
- 7: Cloud Hosting
- 8: Companies that Specialize in API Discovery and Marketing
- 9: API Brokers - Independent API Strategy Consultants
- 10: Companies that Bring APIs to the Laymen
- 11: Organizations that Disseminate API Knowledge
- Analysis: More Innovative Business Types
-
Sectors for Exploitation with APIs
- Cost Cutting
- Food Data and Analytics
- Freight Trucking
- Green Building
- Home Health Care
- Analysis: Final Thoughts
-
The Role of APIs in Growing Financial Technology
- FinTech and APIs: Making the Bank Programmable
- The State of FinTech
- Advantages of Exposing a Bank with an API
- In-Account App Marketplaces, other Proof of Concepts
- With PSD2, EU Banks Will be Open by Law
- Regulatory Impact on Personal Data Rights
- The Open Banking (and Data) Landscape
- Analysis: Implications of Open Banking
-
How APIs are Streamlining Healthcare
- Why Healthcare Needs APIs
- Using APIs for Diagnosis
- Improving Clarity for Patients
- Making Operations Easier for Health Professionals
- The Trouble with Using APIs in a Healthcare Setting
- Making Things Easier for Researchers
- The Future of Healthcare and APIs
-
APIs Are Evolving The B2B Landscape
- In With The New, Out With (Some) Old
- The Clothing Chain Example
- B2B 15 Years Ago: The Progression
- Why B2B Strategy Really Needs An API Strategy
- Getting The Conversation Rolling
- API Advocacy
- Convincing An Architect
- Analysis: B2B World is Slowly Changing with APIs
-
The Core Principles of API Management
- A Definition of API Management
- Components
- API Registry
- API Gateway
- Developer Portal
- Analysis: An Attempt at an Objective, General Definition
-
How APIs Are Disrupting The Way We Think
- Disruption or Destruction?
- The Biggest Disruption of All: APIs Change Our Expectations
- APIs Are the Digital Glue Holding Our World Together
- How Can Today’s Developers Take Advantage of API Disruption?
- Analysis: Drive API Disruption
-
Should Every Company Consider Providing an API?
- Common Myths Surrounding APIs
- Myth #1: All APIs Are Public
- Myth #2: Providing APIs Is an IT-Only Matter
- Myth #3: Providing APIs Is Only For Internet Startups And Giants
- Developing an Internal API: A First Crucial Step With Many Benefits
- From The IT Department Perspective
- From the Company Perspective
- Providing APIs to Others: The Next Step
- Analysis: APIs Must Be a Concern For Every Company
-
The Future of the API Space
- API Indicator #1: API Becomes an Accepted Tool to Grow Your Business
- API Indicator #2: Microservices Architecture Allows All Departments to Scale
- API Indicator #3: Are Public APIs Losing Their Luster?
- Analysis: Are You Getting All You Can out of the API Economy?
- Endnotes
About the Author
In 2013, Nordic APIs was formed to help organizations become more innovative, lean, and efficient. Nordic APIs has grown into one of only a handful of all-API-related event series held anywhere in the world. After hosting more than a dozen events, the community has grown to include hundreds of international thought leaders. Through the global reach of its blog, Nordic APIs is connected to 10's of thousands of API practitioners from around the world. Visit nordicapis.com for more information.
About the Contributors
API Handyman, Blogger @ Nordic APIs
Arnaud Lauret is an IT architect with experience in service oriented architecture and APIs acquired while working in online banking. Passionate about APIs, he also shares his ideas and experiments on the API Handyman blog.
Blogger @ Nordic APIs
Art is a copywriter/blogger/content creator who gave up the big city grind to go freelance and live out in the countryside. He writes about everything from financial services and software/technology to health and fitness for big corporations and startups alike. He started his own company, Copywriting Is Art, several years ago and tweets at @ArtCopywriter.
Editor in Chief @ Nordic APIs
Bill Conrad Doerrfeld is a strategist within the API industry, specializing in API economy research, marketing, and evergreen content evangelism for developer communities. He is the Editor in Chief for Nordic APIs. Before that he studied the API economy as Directory Manager & Associate Editor for the ProgrammableWeb API directory. Follow him on Twitter, or reach out via email.
Blogger @ Nordic APIs
Kristopher Sandoval is a web developer, author, and artist based out of Northern California with over six years of experience in Information Technology and Network Administration. He writes for Nordic APIs and blogs on his site, A New Sincerity.
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