Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) a fundamental piece in the Innovation process
You are in a meeting and the CTO mentions about the API your competitor's done for its the last project...you stammer while trying to remember what API stands for before the CTO changes the subject. If you relate to this scenario, you're not alone. APIs are having a growing impact on our lives and work even for those who are not techie's.
What is an API?
The letters stand for Application Programming Interface. As the name suggests, it's a language that lets one product or service (say, Google Maps) talk to another (e.g., AccuWeather). Think of it as a sort of Esperanto for computers. Because these different platforms can exchange data effectively, working together through this common language, you can combine their different capabilities, customising products to suit your needs or creating entirely new ones. In the case of AccuWeather, the API enables weather trends to be displayed on Google's interactive maps.
Who uses APIs?
Everybody. And if they're not using it, they probably should be. In the same way, it's not acceptable for a company not to have a website these days, it will soon become equally essential to offer an API.
Top 10 tracked APIs of all time
- Google Maps
- YouTube
- AccuWeather
- Amazon Product Advertising
- Flickr
- Google Talk
Source: ProgrammableWeb
From an Innovation perspective, APIs lead you to open your product or service, allowing others to change things that aren't working and create new functionalities that complement your own. Closed systems are the equivalent of such industries always vulnerable to innovation rather than embracing and driving it. In a world dominated by technology, isolation is no longer an option.