APIs: the Glue of Cloud Computing

APIs: the Glue of Cloud Computing
How to pick the right glue and not come unstuck
Steven Willmott
CEO / 3scale networks
http://www.3scale.net

Megatrends

Data &
Services
Megatrend #1
Cloud

Megatrend #2
Applications are getting connected
Cloud
Cloud

Megatrend #3
Mobile &
HTML5 Rewrite the Web Application Playbook

What these trends will do?
Turn web applications upside down
“Hyper Integrate” the Web
Enable key platforms to emerge

Not Just for Compute Power

Personal Information
API
API
API
API
API
API
Applications
Processing
Content
Communication
Infrastructure
& Management

OK- so what do all things really mean?
Think of it like … MVC

MVC = Model / View / Controller
A software architecture, currently considered an architectural pattern used in software engineering. The pattern isolates "domain logic" (the application logic for the user) from input and presentation (GUI), permitting independent development, testing and maintenance of each.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model%E2%80%93view%E2%80%93controller

Model
MODEL = DATA
VIEW = FORM
View
Controller
CONTROLLER = BUSINESS LOGIC

MVC = Model / View / Controller
Originally described for Smalltalk at Xerox Park

MVC has Revolutionized Software Web App Development

Clear separation between Data, Presentation & Business Logic

First : MVC Applications
Model
Separate at Design Time
View
Baked together at Run
Time
Controller

Then : MVC SAAS
Model
Separate at Design Time
View
Separate at Deploy Time
Baked together at Run
Time
Controller

But MVC “Cloud Edition” can mean something much more

Model = Data
Often most critical business asset:
Wealth of data which has value
Real time / Reference data
Sometimes unique / sometimes not
Often:
has great value beyond your own company
AND value beyond the ways you can effectively deliver it.

View = Form
This used to be the company web site
Now it could be your SAAS application interface
Increasingly on Android, iPhone, Symbian, …

Controller = Business Logic
Also know as the “smart stuff”:
Application logic
Algorithms
Secret sauce
Housekeeping like user management / authentication / billing
Increasingly:
Some companies allow others to apply smart stuff to their data
Some companies apply their smart stuff to the data of others.

This shift is enabled by APIs
Interfaces between Components
Interfaces between Businesses

APIs enable Cloud Scale MVC
Model
View
Controller
Data Anywhere in any form
Third parties operating on data
Many Delivery Channels

The implications are SPECTACULAR

Some companies focus on data:
Some companies focus on magic sauce:
Some companies focus on presentation/packaging:

Impact on Their Business
Focus on core competence
Leverage their Ecosystem
Companies are successful when they:
Define a clear center of gravity
Proactively manage the interfaces with other parts of the value chain

APIs Make this work: Models
An API delivers you Data in Raw Form

APIs Make this work: Controllers
APIs Provide Access to
Smart Processing

APIs Make this work: Views
APIS feed many possible ways to consume Data & Services

A fourth element: the Framework
(Normally MVC needs some glue)

Elements of the “Internet Operating System”
Search
Advertising
Location
Media Access
Time
Identify & Social Graph
Communications
C.f. Tim O’Reilly

… Providing a Substrate for Cloud MVC

Questions to you…
What's your core asset?
Great data?
Great functionality?
Great Audience?
Great integration of what other people have?
What takes you a huge amount of time – but is non-core?

Today you can be wildly successful as a full stack (M+V+C)

Tomorrow you will need to to make yourself indispensable in the value chain – otherwise someone may eat your lunch.

Getting the Right Kind of Glue - Examples

Amazon AWS
Broad and Deep
Infrastructure Offering
Broad and Deep API based control
Impressive ecosystem around the infrastructure (e.g. Rightscale)
Focus on self service (and automate)
Many infrastructure providers also now providing great APIs

One of the worlds top software download portals
Multiple markets in the US, Europe, China and Latin America
Amazing data about Windows / Mac / Software + Downloads
http://api.softonic.com/docs
Pull Data and add value to
Your users

Amazing Data about wines world wide
Premier US Wine ecommerce destination
API powers:
3rd party community
iPhone and Symbian Apps
Great “cloud resource”
http://api.wine.com
Wide range of Apps being
built

Conversations as a Service
Social Graph
Professional
Social Graph
Message Graph
Conversational Graph
Introducing
Open API that you can get access to all the good stuff

Track conversations automatically
You send a URL and we give you all the people who commented or shared the link (Twitter, Facebook etc)
You can search for the most engaging links from all over the web in real-time

How to use it?
Advanced tracking systems for blogs
Plugins
Extensions for CRM’s
Financial applications
Advertising apps
Meme portals
Many many more
Go to http://contextvoice.com
and start coding!

Getting the Right Kind of Glue
(and how not to come unstuck)

Things to think about
How do you do integrations to date? How costly are they?
What would you do if a competitor launched their API tomorrow? What disadvantage would you have?
How hard is it really?
Whose API would you use if it was available?

Become a platform?

Getting the right kind of Glue
"API first" - what is the core value being delivered?
Who is the audience for the API?
Think big but start small
Identify initial partners
Consider a significant Beta Phase
Code Examples are Golden

Ensure infrastructure is in place
Usage Limits
Analytics
Access Control
Security
Configuration
Community Management
Billing

API Access Management
Manage Access
Identify API users
Secure & Control access
Configure business rules
Enforce terms of use

API Analytics
Monitor & Measure
Monitor & Meter API usage
Generate in-depth reporting
Analyze & Optimize your API
Plan capacity & React to trends

API Partner Management
Grow your API Ecosystem
Promote your API
Manage sign-up & Provision access
Support your API partners & users (CMS, Blog, Forum, RSS...)
Showcase applications of your API

API Billing & Payments
Monetize your API
Choose your business model
Setup & Configure access plans
Define business rules based on any metrics tracked
Manage settlement without having to handle client CC information

Final Thoughts

Back to MVC
V is hard to scale: let other people do it for you.
C is difficult to predict all requirements for:open up for new layers & combinations.
M let your data free:It will create an incredible amount of stickiness.

Questions?
Steven Willmott
3scale networks
steve@3scale.net / @njyx
http://www.3scale.net/

Launch your API: http://www.3scale.net
Steven Willmott
3scale networks
steve@3scale.net / @njyx
http://www.3scale.net/

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APIs: the Glue of Cloud Computing

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APIs: the Glue of Cloud Computing Presentation Transcript