Techforecast 2012-issue-2

A quarterly journal

06 34 54
2012 Exploiting the growing Consumerization Embracing open IT:
Issue 2 value from information: of APIs: Scaling Enabling the permeable
Creating an operating integrations enterprise
model for permeability

The business value of APIs

David Zanca (on right)
Senior Vice President
FedEx Services

Thomas Wicinski (on left)
Vice President
FedEx Services

Contents

Features
2012
Issue 2 Exploiting the growing
value from information:
Creating an operating model
for permeability
Creating open interfaces to engage a
growing digital ecosystem will empower
enterprises to embrace social, mobile,
analytics, and cloud (SMAC) trends.

06
Consumerization of APIs:
Scaling integrations
A new generation of tools based on
RESTful APIs will help enterprise
IT to scale integrations.

34
Embracing open IT: Enabling
the permeable enterprise
By positioning IT capabilities as a
platform composed of open, self-
describing, modular services, CIOs
enable the permeable enterprise.

54

Interviews Departments

21 02
APIs: An architecture for speed Acknowledgments
John Donovan, Sanjay Macwan,
and Jacob Feinstein of AT&T detail 04 Social
how the API program is a driver of Message from the editor
speed in their innovation efforts.

74
24 Subtext
Tapping value in information
David Zanca and Thomas Wicinski
of FedEx Services describe how
FedEx is a connected enterprise
and provides digital access to its
services on the customer’s terms.

30 Mobile
The rising value of
linked information
Mark Noworolski and Peter Leiser
of Streetline detail how they are
transforming the parking ecosystem
with cloud, mobility, and analytics
technologies using RESTful APIs.
Value from atoms
46
The digital indirect channel
Sam Ramji of Apigee explains why
APIs are of strategic importance
to all businesses.
b i ts
Value from
50
Getting into the
Analytics
customer’s context
Devon Biondi of Mashery details
how APIs allow businesses to engage
with customers in their context.

64
Creating a platform
Laura Merling and John Musser of
Alcatel-Lucent share how enterprises
can use APIs to create platforms from
existing assets to unlock new value.
Cloud
68
Users as partners
Brian Katz of Sanofi discusses how
consumerization of IT means enterprise
IT should treat users as partners.

The business value of APIs 01

Acknowledgments

Advisory Center for Technology
Principal & Technology Leader & Innovation
Tom DeGarmo Managing Editor
Bo Parker
US Thought Leadership
Partner-in-Charge Editors
Tom Craren Vinod Baya
Alan Morrison
Strategic Marketing
Natalie Kontra Contributors
Jordana Marx Galen Gruman
Carol Hildebrand
Bud Mathaisel
Bill Roberts

Editorial Advisor
Larry Marion

Copy Editor
Lea Anne Bantsari

Transcriber
Dawn Regan

02 PwC Technology Forecast 2012 Issue 2

US studio Industry perspectives Mark Noworolski
Design Lead During the preparation of this Chief Technology Officer
Colleen Donato publication, we benefited greatly Streetline
from interviews and conversations
Illustrators with the following executives: Sam Ramji
Don Bernhardt Vice President of Strategy
Tatiana Pechenik Randi Barshack Apigee
Vice President of Marketing
Production Mashery Andy Ruskin
Jeff Ginsburg Director of Marketing
Devon Biondi Mashery
Online Vice President of Strategy Services
Managing Director Online Marketing Mashery Ted Shelton
Jack Teuber Managing Director
John Donovan PwC
Designer and Producer Senior Executive Vice President
Scott Schmidt Technology and Network Operations Thomas Wicinski
AT&T Vice President of
Reviewers Digital Access Marketing
Lowell E. Billings Jacob Feinstein FedEx Services
Daniel M. Cameron Executive Director, New Technology
Christopher Curran AT&T David Zanca
Manish S. Dharnidharka Senior Vice President of IT, Customer
Daniel Eckert Brian Katz Access, and Revenue Systems
Kevin A. Hecht Director, Head of Mobility FedEx Services
Christopher Isaac Industrialization & Engineering Group
Simrit S. Kamboe Sanofi
Surajit Kar
Eoin Russell Peter Leiser
Patrick Shankland Vice President of Engineering,
Alejandro Trujillo Platforms, and Applications
Streetline
Special thanks
Natashia Gregoire Sanjay Macwan
FedEx Global Media Assistant Vice President
AT&T Chief Technology Office
AT&T

Laura Merling
Senior Vice President of
Application Enablement
Alcatel-Lucent

John Musser
Founder of ProgrammableWeb
Alcatel-Lucent


Contents

1. The business value of APIs

2. Exploiting the growing value
from information: Creating an
operating model for
permeability

3. Consumerization of APIs:
Scaling integrations

4. Embracing open IT: Enabling
the permeable enterprise

5. APIs: An architecture for speed

6. Tapping value in information

7. The rising value of linked
information

8. The digital indirect channel

9. Getting into the customer's
context

10.Creating a platform

11. Users as partners

Resurgence of APIs:
super-linear scaling
in digital ecosystems

Message from the editor stations. This is sub-linear scaling. It
Successful businesses grow almost by appears to be true in a city context across
definition. But what comes with being almost all of a city’s infrastructure.
larger? Certainly there are benefits,
the most prominent being economies But cities also produce more than
of scale. But size has its downside. linear scaling in other domains. West
The enterprise R&D function has found that whenever a city doubles
been a frequent target of research in in size, many measures of economic
academia because of its well-known activity, such as construction spending,
pattern of becoming less productive wealth, patents, and bank deposits,
(fewer patents) on a per dollar basis as increase by approximately 15 percent
it grows larger.1 Creating benefits from per capita.3 In other words, cities
scale seems to be automatic in some become more productive as they grow.
circumstances, but creating waste from This is called super-linear scaling.
scale seems just as automatic in others.
West lays this all at the feet of networks.
Dr. Geoffrey West and his colleagues at The power of networks can produce
Tom DeGarmo
the Santa Fe Institute have published sublinear scaling and superlinear
Principal & Technology Leader insightful results on the way many scaling. Neither is inherently better—
thomas.p.degarmo@us.pwc.com different domains scale. He charts the some things you want less of, and other
relationship between size and metabolic things you want more of as you grow.
rate across species to convincingly
demonstrate that doubling in size This issue of the Technology Forecast
requires only 75 percent more energy examines the question of scaling in
rather than a doubling of energy.2 In a the context of four major disruptions
totally different domain, West found penetrating enterprise operations
a similar pattern with gas stations in simultaneously—social computing,
cities—doubling the size of the city mobile computing, advanced analytics,
results in only 75 percent more gas and cloud computing (in short, SMAC).

1 Wesley M. Cohen and Steven Klepper, “Firm Size and 2 http://www.ted.com/talks/geoffrey_west_the_
the Nature of Innovation within Industries: The Case of surprising_math_of_cities_and_corporations.html
Process and Product R&D,” The Review of Economics
and Statistics 78, no. 2 (May 1996): 232–243. 3 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/
magazine/19Urban_West-t.html?pagewanted=all


Our use of the term SMAC includes of digital services will more than This issue also includes interviews
the four technologies called out double the business value created. with executives at enterprises that are
here as well as related emerging As West would say, it’s because of the leading the practice of tapping value in
technologies that take advantage of network effect. And digital business information, having a digital operating
them, such as the Internet of Things. ecosystems can grow businesses in model, and enabling permeability:
terms of revenue and profits much
Individually, these disruptions faster than headcount and expenses. • John Donovan, Sanjay Macwan,
are themselves about scale. Social and Jacob Feinstein of AT&T detail
computing scales business collaboration We call it building the permeable how the API program is a driver of
from a few to hundreds or thousands of enterprise, where business capabilities speed in their innovation efforts.
others. Mobile computing scales process are abstracted as open programmable
and data management into almost any interfaces and scaling integrations in a • David Zanca and Thomas Wicinski
business context. Advanced analytics— digital ecosystem is incorporated into of FedEx Services describe how
with big data, terabytes of in-memory strategic thinking so that value scales FedEx taps value in information
databases, and visualization—scales in superlinear ways while cost scales with a digital operating model.
business intelligence into every in sublinear ways. The reemergence of
aspect of business operations. And application programming interfaces • Mark Noworolski and Peter Leiser of
cloud computing promises more (APIs) in general and the rise of Streetline share how they are trans-
compute power than ever before. the RESTful style of integrations forming the parking ecosystem with
in particular bring this promise by SMAC technologies using RESTful APIs.
These disruptions are all delivered providing an architecture and systematic
over digital networks as digital approach to engaging with SMAC • Sam Ramji of Apigee explains why APIs
services, usually from outside the and other emerging technologies. are the first digital indirect channel.
enterprise. For many business and
IT executives, the potential value of This issue of the Technology Forecast • Devon Biondi of Mashery describes
engaging with these four trends is examines how enterprises can engage how APIs allow businesses to engage
transparent. The challenge is scaling with the challenges and opportunities with customers in their context.
their integration with traditional IT. stemming from SMAC trends by
In the best of circumstances, internal scaling integrations and participating • Laura Merling and John Musser
legacy systems integrate well with in expanding digital ecosystems. of Alcatel-Lucent share how
each other. But they rarely were creating platforms from existing
designed to rapidly integrate with The article, “Exploiting the growing assets can unlock new value.
digitally delivered external services. value from information,” on page
06 examines how creating open • Brian Katz of Sanofi discusses why
That’s job one. Job two is recognizing interfaces to engage a growing digital enterprise IT should treat users as partners.
that offering digitally delivered services ecosystem will empower enterprises
is a big opportunity, very often through to build a digital operating model Please visit pwc.com/techforecast to
the co-creative efforts of third parties. and progress toward becoming find these articles and other issues of
Almost certainly these services will a permeable enterprise. the Technology Forecast online. If you would
force a rethink of vertical business like to receive future issues of this quarterly
processes. Refining tightly coupled end- “Consumerization of APIs” on page 34 publication as a PDF attachment, you can
to-end processes into loosely coupled, explains why a new generation of tools sign up at pwc.com/techforecast/subscribe.
modular activities creates the building based on RESTful APIs scales the ability
blocks third parties are looking for as to make digital connections by sharply As always, we welcome your feedback
they build new businesses. But business reducing the cost and complexity of and your ideas for future research and
partners and consumers of those integrations in digital ecosystems. analysis topics to cover.
services expect the same rapid, seamless
setup already demonstrated in web- The article, “Embracing open IT,” on
centric digital ecosystems. Otherwise page 54 examines how, by positioning IT
the services go wanting for customers. capabilities as a platform composed of
open, self-describing, modular services,
In short, the rise of digital business CIOs can manage challenges from SMAC
ecosystems is creating superlinear and enable the permeable enterprise.
scaling effects; doubling the number


Exploiting the growing
value from information:
Creating an operating
model for permeability
Creating open interfaces to engage a growing
digital ecosystem will empower enterprises to
systematically embrace emerging technology trends
and to benefit from the accelerating information
value expectations of their customers.
By Vinod Baya, Galen Gruman, and Bo Parker

Streetline, a startup based in Foster All three examples (detailed later)
City, California, uses mobile sensors, illustrate how leading companies are
web applications, and analytics to capitalizing on digital ecosystems that
collect, transmit, and analyze data from are expanding due to the confluence
parking meters and parking spaces. of social networks, mobile computing,
The company is transforming parking analytics, and cloud computing
operations into digital ecosystems to the (SMAC).1 SMAC challenges enterprises
benefit of the cities, the drivers, parking to take advantage of the positive
lot operators, and local merchants. disruptions it portends, while they
operate at the rapid pace of innovation
At FedEx, an evolving digital operating and change that SMAC demands.
model allows customers to stay in
continuous contact with their packages SMAC and other emerging technologies
and to initiate changes to their create the possibility for new ways
shipments and other orders previously to develop products, interact with
viewed as strictly internal operations. customers, partner with others,
The operating model also supports the compete, and succeed. More than a
efforts of business partners to create strategy for any individual technology
new services using FedEx information. trend or for combining more than one
of them, companies need a systematic
And AT&T is transforming its network approach to engage with these
into a permeable digital platform with technologies. Companies that have
software interfaces that third-party the most success engaging with SMAC
developers can use to tap into network are, in PwC’s view, rethinking their
capabilities to create applications and business and enterprise architectures and
services that add value for customers, emphasizing three fundamental changes.
the third parties themselves, and AT&T.
1 Our use of the term SMAC includes the four
technologies called out here as well as related
emerging technologies that take advantage of
them, such as the Internet of Things.


Figure 1: A permeable enterprise exposes modular capabilities with
open software interfaces to enable interactions (internally and externally)

What is an API? in digital ecosystems.

When talking to colleagues in the
IT organization or to technology API
providers about ways to participate
in the digital ecosystem, you’ll hear
the term API. It is the acronym
for application programming
interface, a technology term that
means the specifications for how Enterprise
software programs are able to Business
ecosystem
exchange information with each
other even if designed and run
by different organizations.

APIs are everywhere. The Google
Maps API, for instance, is an
interface used by developers to add
content on a map of any region.
Businesses can also embed the maps
in their applications or services.

There are several types of APIs, but
the one worth noting to a business
audience today is a RESTful API, First, they acknowledge the SMAC digital relationships with customers
which stands for representational trends are the strongest signal yet that and partners, and reorganize for speed.
state transfer API. Although not business ecosystems are becoming
appropriate in all use cases, more digitized, where information Permeability and successful engagement
RESTful APIs have changed the content accounts for a rising proportion with SMAC improves overall
economics of performing software of the entire value of any product or performance. PwC’s fourth annual
integrations by sharply reducing service. Second, they understand that survey of enterprises’ digital IQ—the
the associated cost and complexity. successfully tapping the new drivers way companies use digital technology
This change creates the potential to of value requires a digital operating and channels to meet customer needs
rethink IT architectures for scaling model, a model attuned to participating as well as the needs of employees and
integrations and pursuing strategies in or integrating with expanding digital business partners—finds that top-
that take advantage of them. ecosystems. And third, successful performing2 US organizations show
companies are adjusting their business greater mastery in how they leverage
Today, web companies and social
and enterprise architectures to become the digital technologies of SMAC to plan,
networking providers are heavy
what PwC calls the permeable enterprise. innovate, measure results, interact with
providers and users of RESTful APIs,
customers, and ultimately create value.3
which is how they quickly connect
Permeable means the use of open
to so many data sources and services
software interfaces on modular This issue of the Technology Forecast
and let others rely on the data and
services they provide. Google, capabilities to allow easy digital describes ways that enterprises can
Facebook, and Twitter are examples connections with other capabilities, engage with SMAC trends by using
of companies that quickly became the way web-based companies RESTful APIs to become a permeable
providers beyond their own services do. (See Figure 1.) Specifically, enterprise and participate in digital
through the use of RESTful APIs. leading companies use application ecosystems. The issue details the rise of
programming interfaces (APIs)— RESTful API management technology
By using and offering APIs, you do not especially RESTful, or representational
forgo the ability to control or manage state transfer, APIs (see the sidebar,
2 Top-performing organizations are defined as those
users of them. An API may be exposed “What is an API?” on this page)— rated in the highest quartile for annual revenue, growth,
internally or externally, and designed as interface-oriented abstractions of profitability, and innovation as well as those that have
revenue growth of more than 5 percent in the last
so only those with valid credentials enterprise capabilities. In doing so, 12 months.
can transact through them. they rethink their assets as platforms 3 Raising your digital IQ, PwC’s 4th annual digital IQ
for co-creation, maintain persistent survey, 2012, http://www.pwc.com/us/digitalIQ.


Figure 2: The confluence of SMAC trends creates a shift in value drivers,
as the value from bits (information content) grows faster than the value
from atoms (the physical product or human-delivered service).

Social

Value

Value from atoms

Cloud Mobile
bits
Value from

Time Atoms: physical product
or human-delivered service

Bits: information content

Analytics

from new vendors (see the article, value of the physical product or human-
“Consumerization of APIs,” on page delivered analog service (atoms).4
34) and examines how the CIO should The confluence of SMAC trends is
think about permeability as it impacts driving this shift in business value. PwC
the IT organization (see the article, anticipates that information associated
“Embracing open IT,” on page 54). with products and services will
increasingly account for a rising share
Digital transformation of in the customer’s experience of value
ecosystems: How bits increasingly delivered, as illustrated in Figure 2.
complement atoms
The notion of the digital company Streetline uses bits to transform
has been around for years. Gains in a business built on atoms
operational efficiency can be credited to Parking spaces and parking meters have
a more expansive use of IT to make the always been part of the atoms world.
business run faster and more effectively. One space was available to one car,
That’s a powerful benefit of IT. However, and a meter was a simple device with
few companies outside the pure a coin slot, a timer, and sometimes a
web space have become truly digital credit card capability. The user and
companies in which information and the owner dealt with the meter in a
the ability to act on it creates significant one-to-one relationship and had to be
economic and competitive value. physically present to use or manage it.

The examples of Streetline, FedEx, Now, Streetline5 digitally manages
and AT&T suggest what a company parking spaces and meters in Los
can do when it starts to realize that Angeles, Indianapolis, and several other
information itself is a product or cities. It embeds sensors in parking
service. Some, including Rob Carter,
CIO of FedEx, use bits and atoms as an
4 Rob Carter, CIO of FedEx, keynote address at Location
analogy to highlight the growing value and Beyond Summit, 2010, http://www.youtube.com/
of information (bits) to complement the watch?v=Ljs28Rokwnk.

5 http://www.streetline.com/manage-parking/for-cities/


Today, many everyday products and
services, such as shoes, wristbands,
Social, mobile, analytics, and cloud golf clubs, appliances, and cars,
(SMAC) trends are the strongest signal yet include sensors to collect and transmit
information that can enhance the user
that business ecosystems are becoming experience in a digital ecosystem. For
more digitized, where information content example, Nike augments select running
shoes with an embedded sensor—called
accounts for a rising proportion of the the Nike+ system7—that allows athletes
entire value of any product or service. to track running habits, assess progress
against personal goals, collaborate
with other runners, and improve
performance, thereby enhancing the
running experience. A wristband from
Basis8 has multiple sensors to track heart
rate, physical activity, sleep patterns,
and galvanic skin response (through
Figure 3: The Parker app from spaces on the street and in municipal perspiration) for personalized tracking
Streetline helps customers and privately owned garages to collect and feedback on physical conditioning.
navigate to open parking spots. information about availability and
wirelessly transmit the data via a Why new value will be
mesh network to Streetline’s servers. increasingly driven from bits
“We use this information to create a Where should a company look to create
smart parking ecosystem,” says Mark value from information? Figure 4 shows
Noworolski, CTO of Streetline. a high-level taxonomy of potential
sources of value spanning atoms and
The bits bring new value to a formerly bits. A general way to think about
atoms-only parking ecosystem. Drivers information value-add is that it directly
can use Parker, a mobile application engages the customer’s experience
available from app stores, to identify of the product or service by surfacing
and navigate to an open spot, get alerts data about that experience. Once data
on meter expiration, or reserve spaces. has been collected, it can be used for
(See Figure 3.) Parking enforcement multiple purposes by the customer, the
officers no longer need to patrol for vendor, or other interested parties.
violations; they can go directly to
the spot of an expired meter. Cities
can implement demand-responsive
pricing6 and establish federated “We use this [parking
payment systems across jurisdictions.
spot availability and
Because the information is no longer payment] information
trapped in the meter, local businesses
can become value-added partners to create a smart
by paying to give their customers parking ecosystem.”
priority access to nearby meters or
by subscribing to the meter data for —Mark Noworolski,
Source: Streetline
inclusion in navigation services. The
app also reduces traffic and pollution Streetline
as fewer drivers need to circle for
parking. All this new value emanates
from the world of bits made possible
6 http://sfpark.org/how-it-works/pricing/
by digitally transforming the parking
ecosystem and liberating analog 7 http://nikeplus.nike.com/plus/

information from the atoms world. 8 https://mybasis.com/


Figure 4: The emerging domains of value are driven more by bits (information content) than atoms (physical product).

Value of experience:
product or service

Known Emerging
Value from Value from
domain of value domain of value
atoms bits

Content Content
Communication
Form Function (unchanging (related
(changing
information) information)
information)

Components, Telemetry Linking
Specifications, Non-telemetry
integrated (location, contexts
performance information
system time, etc.) (APIs)
(state)

Internal External
Design Usability Digital
to enterprise to enterprise
operations
use use

Permeability

Progress toward a permeable enterprise


Figure 5: The ability to link information nodes (bits) in an information network means value rises quickly as the number
of nodes increases (Metcalfe’s Law).
An impact of SMAC is that more and more processes and activities will create a digital footprint and surface new information.
The ability to link this information to create an information network provides the potential to grow new value exponentially.

Enterprise Ecosystem

des
no
io n
at
rm
fo
in
g
in
nk
li
m
f ro
l ue
Va

There are many reasons why appliances, cars, homes, and Figure 6.) Such growth manifests
emerging domains of value are based parking meters. This increasing the advantage of Metcalfe’s Law,12
more on bits than on atoms. Some instrumentation, connectivity, which recognizes that the value of a
reasons include the following: and digitization deliver more and network is proportional to the square
more bits into the value system.11 of the entities in the network.
• Bits are increasing—With a
phenomenon such as the Internet of • Bits are fungible and limitless— • Bits persist over time—Whereas
Things,9 products become smarter They can be repurposed, reused, a consumer eventually replaces
through embedded sensors, which duplicated, or deployed in any a car or shoes, the information
produce digital representations number of use cases without being accumulated around that product
of the analog activities. Sensors “used up.” This flexibility multiplies will persist beyond the life of the
convert any type of analog signal, the options created by bits for ongoing atoms. As new hardware endpoints
such as temperature, pressure, or innovation and value extraction. The arrive, bits can be adapted to new
acceleration, into electrical signals value of the bits increases the more values and new endpoints. The
that digitize that information. that multiple parties exploit them, value accumulates over time.
These sensors are increasingly as demonstrated by Streetline.
ubiquitous, and their usage grows
9 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_Things
as they continue to become cheaper • Bits can be linked—As RESTful API
10 Caroline Kazmierski, “Semiconductor Industry Posts
and smaller. According to the technologies gain wider adoption, Record-Breaking Revenues Despite 2011 Challenges,”
Semiconductor Industry Association, an information network made of Semiconductor Industry Association, February 6, 2012,
http://www.sia-online.org/news/2012/02/06/global-
sensors and actuators are the smallest information nodes likely will develop sales-report-2012/semiconductor-industry-posts-
semiconductor market segment internally and externally to an record-breaking-revenues-despite-2011-challenges/.

but showed the highest year-to- enterprise, much like the network of 11 See the article, “Consumerization of APIs,” on page 34
year growth of any segment, at devices on the Internet. (See Figure for more details on sensors.

15.5 percent to $8 billion in 2011.10 5.) ProgrammableWeb, which tracks 12 Although initially defined in relation to
telecommunications networks, Metcalfe’s Law today
Today, sensors are in a wide range externally published APIs, already applies to all networks, and it states that the value of a
of devices and environments, reports more than 6,000 APIs, and network is proportional to the square of the number of
nodes in the network. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
including wristbands, toothbrushes, the number is quickly increasing. (See Metcalfe's_law for more details.


Figure 6: Use of APIs to interact in digital ecosystems has
been growing and has accelerated in the past few years.
Growth in number of APIs over time

3
mo
6,000
4
mo
5,000
6
mo
4,000
9
mo
3,000
18
months
2,000

8 years
1,000

0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Source: ProgrammableWeb

Scaling integrations requires to think about the SMAC technologies Table 1: The interdependent and
a digital operating model as an integrated whole from a complementary roles of SMAC in
While each SMAC technology has its strategic viewpoint. (See Table 1.) doing work
own unique impact, the technologies
are complementary in support of work But as a collective whole they also
Trend Relationship with work
getting done. The cloud increasingly represent an unusual, perhaps
contains more of the information and unprecedented challenge: how to Social Who we work with
applications that people use. Mobile embrace the comprehensive challenge
devices give people access to the cloud, they create at a technological level Mobile How we get to work
to other data sources, and to each other. without being overwhelmed. Leading
Analytics help them make actionable companies are overcoming this Analytics What we work on, the
meaning of work
sense of all that data. Social media helps challenge by adopting what PwC calls
people find colleagues with whom to a digital operating model. This model is
Cloud Where we do the work
collaborate and co-create. The collective inspired by the open linking tradition
impact of SMAC on the enterprise evident in the web marketplace that is
operating model is so broad that it helps accelerating, driven by SMAC trends.

Despite decades of technology investments,
most companies do not have a digital
operating model today.


Scalable integration strategy: Why most companies
don’t have a digital operating model—yet
Having adopted IT solutions to drive limited resources—web companies have to as a service-oriented architecture
automation and efficiencies for decades, naturally moved to a low-maintenance, (SOA). (See Figure A2.) Adoption of
many companies will argue that they self-describing, open communication style SOA can address many of the issues
are already digital. Their back-office of integration facilitated by RESTful APIs, surfaced in Figure A1 by conforming to its
processes, in particular, are likely to be which are a scalable way to integrate. principles of loose coupling, abstraction
highly digital, and they pay increasing of services, modularity, and reusability.
attention to digitizing information about Using a loose taxonomy of back-office, While this approach has greatly reduced
customers and suppliers. However, at most front-office, and middle-office systems the unintended complexity of the early
companies the digital footprint is uneven. and applications, Figure A depicts how, as days of integration, scaling for and
integration scales, digitization can spread in coordinating with a digitizing business
Extending digitization depends on an enterprise. Historically, the integration ecosystem remains burdensome as SOA
making connections digital, which in turn technologies were entirely point to point, has largely remained internally focused.
depends on integrating tasks, activities, as shown in Figure A1. These integration
and processes. Therefore, the central issue points grew organically without concerns RESTful APIs, an architectural and
that keeps IT from meeting the demands or considerations for reuse, consistent programming model that sharply reduces
of social, mobile, analytics, and cloud architecture, or agility. They also required the cost and complexity of integrations,
(SMAC) or having a digital operating external documentation, demanded a deliver a scalable approach for both
model is the long lead time and high cost deep understanding of data types and internal and external use. (See Figure A3.)
of integrating one piece of software with logic on both sides of the connection, and Many companies will start by exposing
another. IT investments of the past did not moved data in binary form unreadable data and services using RESTful APIs
anticipate the need for scaling integrations. to programmers. As the integrations to their external digital ecosystem of
proliferated to number in the hundreds, partners and customers. But a RESTful
For this reason, lessons from web a new approach became necessary. API approach for internal integration
companies are relevant. With business creates many of the same benefits of
motivations to integrate with as many other This need led to the emergence of an highly scalable linking and coordinating
web companies as possible—and with approach to internal integration that adopts of business processes at very low cost.
architectural principles, usually referred

Figure A: Despite decades of IT investments, most companies do not have a digital operating model
because they could not scale integrations easily, an opportunity possible today with RESTful APIs.
A1 A2 A3
Historically, the front, middle, With SOA, enterprises adopted an The new architectural principle and programming
and back offices of an enterprise architecture using a service bus for model based on RESTful APIs reduces integration
were integrated point to point by integration, creating loose coupling and cost and complexity, so integrations can scale for
tight coupling, suitable only for a the potential for reuse and flexibility. The many internal as well as external uses.
small number of integrations. complexity of integration meant use
remained largely internal to the enterprise. API

Front office

Enterprise
service bus
ice
Ba

(SOA)
off
ck

le
off

dd
ice

Mi

EDI EDI EDI

Business ecosystem Business ecosystem Business ecosystem


Companies embracing a digital
operating model organize
themselves around atoms plus bits
as the source of new value.

To be successful, web companies
had to solve a fundamental problem:
linking to and being linked by other
web properties at scale. The solution genesis of the SMAC trends. The web
was open, self-describing APIs marketplace has become known for
communicating over standard HTTP13 constant, unpredictable change, robust
protocols—in short, RESTful APIs. innovation, agility, modular capabilities,
and co-creation of value. The web
Despite decades of technology is inherently digital and organized
investments, most companies do around an architecture that facilitates
not have a digital operating model these dynamics. With RESTful APIs, all
today. Many feel overwhelmed by companies have the opportunity to bring
the demands from SMAC trends. these capabilities to their operations.
The problem for most companies is And this is the inspiration for a digital
that they cannot scale their existing operating model, which should have
integration architecture and methods the following key characteristics:
to the demands created by a digital
ecosystem. (See the sidebar, “Scalable • Instrumentation to digitize
integration strategy,” on page 14.) operations—The use of sensors
transforms analog activities into
So far, companies that have acted on digital representations to surface
the digital ecosystem in a big way and use valuable information.
tend to be web-native enterprises,
such as Facebook, Google, and several • Loosely coupled modular
other companies offering mobile or capabilities—Internal capabilities
social apps. Web-native companies and processes are broken into
extend their capabilities and their modular service components that
reach almost as a matter of course by have standard open interfaces.
exposing their capabilities via APIs to Loose coupling makes it possible
others. In many ways, the web is the to change the components without
affecting the system, as long as
the interface is kept stable.
13 HyperText Transport Protocol is the standard for
transmitting information on the World Wide Web.


Table 2: Key characteristics of the digital operating model contrasted with the way many companies typically operate

Characteristic Typical operating model Digital operating model

Key source of value Organized around atoms as the source of value Organized around atoms plus bits as the source
of new value

Extent of Mostly analog activities (except digital native Mostly instrumented, connected, digital activities
digitization companies)

Asset strategy Assets exist to fulfill a particular function Assets are platforms and therefore extensible
and are not extensible by others

Architecture Largely closed and monolithic Open, accessible, and modular

Responsiveness Static, inflexible, slow to evolve Dynamic, agile, evolving
to change

Key performance Efficiency-centric: resistance to new value creation Customer-centric: increasing value to customer
indicator (KPI)

Nature of Tight coupling among systems of coordination Loose coupling among systems of coordination
interdependencies

Participants in Largely the enterprise itself Co-creation and collaboration with the ecosystem
value creation

Business creation High barrier to new business creation Low barrier to new business creation
potential

• Addressable platform with low A culture of valuing information gives
interaction costs—The capabilities FedEx a digital operating model
“Information about the are available for others to use by FedEx has organized around
package helps us run means of stable interfaces that have a information from its inception. “In the
low or no barrier to usage. Enabling late 1970s, our founder and CEO Fred
our business better. technologies, including RESTful APIs Smith said, ‘The information about
That comes from a and API management platforms, the package is just as important as the
make addressability efficient. package itself,’” says David Zanca, senior
digital operating model vice president of IT, customer access,
where all our assets are • The ability to co-create in a and revenue systems at FedEx Services.
digital ecosystem—A co-creation “It’s a vision that has given our company
connected and surface strategy treats customers, channel a culture that values information,
information to increase partners, suppliers, and industry and that uses it in all we do.”
ecosystem participants as active agents
overall value to us and who have permission to combine the FedEx’s journey to a digital operating
the customer.” modular capabilities exposed in a model is decades old. “Information
platform to create new experiences. about the package helps us run our
—David Zanca, business better. That comes from a
There are other characteristics, digital operating model where all
FedEx Services and Table 2 contrasts the prevalent our assets are connected and surface
traditional operating model to a information to increase overall value
digital operating model. Companies to us and the customer,” Zanca says.
embracing a digital operating model “Almost every piece of our business
organize themselves around atoms is instrumented; it has some degree
plus bits as the source of new value. of intelligence and automation on it.


Our planes are all intelligent, and they With its new SenseAware product
tell us where they are. The trucks, line, FedEx has recently driven the “Not only do our
the couriers, the knowledge workers, digital operating model deeper into
the hubs—almost everything has the customer’s context. “Not only do customers want more
technology embedded in it and tells our customers want more information information about
us where it is or what its state is.” about the packages, but they also now
want more interaction with FedEx and the packages, but they
FedEx has used a transportation logistics expect us to react to changes and resolve also now want more
information system called COSMOS problems if they occur, ” says Thomas
(Customer, Operations, Service Master Wicinski, vice president of digital interaction with FedEx
On-line System) since 1979 to keep access marketing for FedEx Services.
and expect us to react
track of all packages. While it used Customers can request operational
the information to allow dynamic actions such as return shipment, to changes and resolve
management of its delivery system, it reroute, reship, and repackage. Its
problems if they occur.”
also innovated many times to present digital operating model gives FedEx the
an interface to its customers and bring flexibility to adapt to these requests. —Thomas Wicinski,
them into the FedEx digital ecosystem.
Transformation to a FedEx Services
In 1984, before the web, FedEx released permeable enterprise
PowerShip (now part of FedEx Ship), The digital operating model enables
which used modems over circuit- what PwC calls the permeable enterprise,
switched telephone lines to allow in which latent capabilities and assets
high-volume customers to link with inside the enterprise are permitted
COSMOS, so they could place shipping to reach outside and be combined
orders electronically and print air with other assets and capabilities.
bills. In 1994, fedex.com was the first External innovators also can reach
site to give customers the ability to into the enterprise and tap into its
monitor shipments on the web. capabilities to create new value. Both
are facilitated by the sharply lower cost
FedEx also maintains a website for of interactions in a digital ecosystem.
developers (FedEx Developer Resource
Center14), where third parties can A company will need to develop
tap into FedEx capabilities offered as many new capabilities to adopt a
modular web services for shipping, digital operating model and become
office and print services, and other tasks. a permeable enterprise. As Figure 7
shows, these new capabilities address
FedEx layers the customer experience partner strategies, assumptions
services on top of the enterprise services about the frequency and intensity
with the help of RESTful APIs. of customer engagement, and a
business and enterprise architecture
built for speed, all while balancing
14 http://www.fedex.com/us/developer/
their use internally and externally.


Platform for co-creation: The platform approach is a different
Scaling integrations way of thinking about value. It requires
“If you are going to
Until recently, organizational structures a step back from the product or service’s
operate at a pace and IT systems were designed to obvious value and an assessment of
support the enterprise as the sole how others might add value if they
at which the external
creator of products and services. In had access to attributes beyond the
market is moving, a world of value co-creation, these immediate ones. “The ability to create
structures and systems often do not self-service interactions, enable
you have to take
work well. Too much knowledge about co-creation, and provide a vehicle
capabilities, industry how processes work must be acquired where information is flowing from
before anything can be added. This a leaf node to every other leaf node
specific or not, and
barrier can be significant for third radically transforms our ideas about
make platforms parties, even if huge latent value is how to organize production, innovation,
inside the enterprise. Reducing the and transactions,” says Ted Shelton,
from them.”
learning curve requires a new strategy. managing director in the PwC Advisory
“If you are going to operate at a pace at practice. Product design, development,
—John Donovan, AT&T
which the external market is moving, and customer service must take into
you have to take capabilities, industry account the growing possibilities for
specific or not, and make platforms surfacing and using information.
from them,” says John Donovan, senior
executive vice president of technology In this context, the word platform
and network operations at AT&T. By means programmable interfaces or
allowing third-party developers to tap APIs. “APIs are the building blocks of the
into its network capabilities, AT&T has digital economy,” says Laura Merling,
transformed its network into a digital senior vice president of the application
platform. (See the sidebar, “APIs: An enablement business unit at Alcatel-
architecture for speed,” on page 21.) Lucent. APIs become the language with
which interactions and communication
occur in a SMAC-driven digital
ecosystem, supporting permeability.


AT&T seeks to expand the value Figure 7: Enterprises will require a digital operating model to tap into the
realized from its telecommunications shift in value drivers that results from SMAC. The digital operating model
network and associated services. on the inside will enable the permeable enterprise on the outside.
Jacob Feinstein, executive director
of new technology at AT&T, says
Social
AT&T asked itself, “If we architect
our network so that it comprises a
number of loosely coupled modules
connected through open interfaces, Value

could we expose those interfaces to
third parties to foster openness in Value from atoms
a broader sense, leading to greater
Cloud Mobile
innovation, and ultimately get more
bits
apps on more devices on our network?” Value from

For example, because AT&T exposed its Time

Internet Protocol telephony capabilities
to web developers, its users can
initiate an online phone session from
Analytics
a restaurant review website to make a
reservation, potentially driving more
business to AT&T’s network. AT&T could requires
provide access to different quality-of-
service levels that provide a range of
service options for third parties, letting Digital operating model
them offer, for example, premium
connections for a higher fee, in which
AT&T might share the extra revenue. Instrumented Modular Addressable Low interaction
operations capabilities platform cost

Rethinking the customer relationship:
Persistent digital engagement results in
Because of SMAC, a new consumer
reality is emerging, defined by an any-
where/anytime/any device expectation Permeable enterprise
of accessibility and engagement.
Consumers have the ability to be
online all the time and expect what
PwC calls persistent digital engagement
with whomever they conduct business.
“To address the new consumer state
of persistent digital engagement,
companies will need to develop fluency
in digital product development and
social technologies, and they will need
• Platform for co-creation
to create collaboration across groups
• Persistent digital engagement
that have often worked separately from • Architecture for speed
one another,” PwC’s Shelton advises.


Figure 8: The digital operating model promotes a customer-centric
approach over a product-centric one.

s fu n ct Business functions
s in e s io n
Bu s

The
product
The
customer

Customers

Product-centric Customer-centric

Enterprises must reorganize in a Architecture for speed
manner that puts customers at the Speed is essential in the digital
“Agility and accessibility
center of the digital operating model, ecosystem to meet the pace with which
will make the successful instead of thinking of them only the business environment is changing.
as end-of-the-chain recipients of Speed was a driving force in AT&T’s
organization of the
delivered value. Figure 8 shows this RESTful API program, Donovan says.
future.” distinction between a product-centric By exposing RESTful APIs, AT&T has
and customer-centric enterprise. cut the time it takes developers to place
—Ted Shelton, PwC new capabilities on the network from
Customers are already altering the months to hours. The API program is a
dynamics of their relationships with key pillar in AT&T’s broader innovation
providers through their rapid adoption strategy. (See the sidebar, “APIs: An
of new technologies that move them architecture for speed,” on page 21.)
toward the center. “The customer is
able to have a tighter, longer-lasting Establishing a business and IT
relationship with the business even architecture around RESTful APIs is
though the way they interact with not just about speed. It is the best way
that business might change,” says Sam to prepare for future waves of change
Ramji, vice president of strategy at API in technologies, products, and business
management solution vendor Apigee. strategies. “Agility and accessibility will
Bits allow stickier relationships in the make the successful organization of
value network because their mutability the future,” Shelton says. “With APIs
means they can persist even as they are modularizing every function at the right
adapted to new services and use cases. level of granularity, one can enable
more agility and more accessibility.”


APIs: An architecture for speed at AT&T
John Donovan, Sanjay Macwan, and Jacob Feinstein of AT&T detail how the API program
is a driver of speed in their innovation efforts.

Navigating the far-flung functional, than 150 startups. As a result of this care for AT&T, new revenue opportunity
organizational, and technical structure outreach, 40 projects are in the works for SundaySky, and increased satisfaction
to bring new ideas to any large company and 11 are deployed commercially, for the customer. AT&T and SundaySky
can be slow and confounding. For a generating revenue for AT&T and co-created a solution facilitated by the
company the size of AT&T, this had the its collaborators or delivering new transparency and ease of programming
potential to create lengthy delays for efficiencies that benefit customers. to the billing API. Without that, such an
developers seeking to test innovations endeavor might have taken too long.
against the network. Today, external APIs are the key
innovators and developers access The underlying enabler to increase the Making AT&T addressable:
much of AT&T’s network and other pace of innovation is the company’s Network as a platform
capabilities in a self-service manner, application programming interface AT&T has opened up several categories
allowing them to bring new offerings to (API) program. By opening up core of RESTful APIs so far and processes
market three times faster than before. horizontal and vertical capabilities about 4.5 billion API calls every month.
through RESTful public APIs, AT&T AT&T has an aggressive road map to
This new speed is central to AT&T’s has established a digital platform that open new APIs across several service
innovation strategy. Whether ideas drives an ecosystem of network-centric categories. This plan makes the network
are generated internally or co-created services. “It is an architectural choice an intrinsic part of an innovation
with outside innovators, AT&T wants to one makes for speed,” Donovan says. ecosystem and gives AT&T an opportunity
match the pace at which the market is for new monetization by serving
changing and innovating—particularly When a company has the size and consumers and business customers.
around mobile and cloud technologies. scale of AT&T, speed is not easy or
a given. The API program removes Ultimately, the goal of an API program is
“If you have infrastructure assets and organizational, functional, and technical to make internal capabilities addressable
are going to operate at a pace at which barriers to accessing AT&T’s network by others. “Many people think API equals
the external market is moving, you and information assets. Extensive open and open equals free; that’s not the
have to take capabilities—industry- documentation, sample code, immediate case at all. What is needed is a thoughtful
specific or not—and make platforms access to RESTful APIs, and sandboxes architecture that allows you to take layers
from them. And then make them easy for testing are some of the features above and below your platform, and make
to address,” says John Donovan, senior that reduce the friction for a thriving them modular and addressable,” Donovan
executive vice president of technology ecosystem of developers and innovators. says. AT&T’s goal is to make its network
and network operations at AT&T. the most addressable network globally.
Consider the case of SundaySky, a
The emphasis on speed extends beyond company AT&T chose to work with With APIs making capabilities addressable,
technology. Startups participate in “speed after a speed dating session. Telecom the network becomes a platform that
dating” sessions with AT&T executives, bills can be difficult to understand for accrues many advantages. Developers
a fast-paced 20 minutes in which they some customers, particularly when they save time and resources and build on
have a deal or an understanding of start or change services. AT&T’s billing top of AT&T’s assets instead of investing
why not. “We always have some of our system has more than 1,000 elements. in network and telecom equipment
top decision makers in the room—not Confusion stemming from a bill leads to themselves. A platform approach
just the technology leadership, but our high call volume to customer care. Using positions legacy assets for the future
business unit leaders, chief marketing AT&T’s billing API, SundaySky created a by abstracting and combining them to
officers for enterprise and consumer, service that dynamically builds a custom increase their relevance to emerging
and others. Because the key decision video to address customers by name and trends in cloud, mobile, and social
makers are listening to the pitch at the walk them through their bills. In a trial technologies. “APIs give you the ability
same time, we can decide whether to of new subscribers for the IPTV service to better manage the legacy environment
move forward immediately after the (U-verse), the call volume to customer and future-proof them,” Donovan says.
speed dating session,” says Sanjay care dropped by 20 percent among
Macwan, assistant vice president in customers who had access to the video A well-executed API program reorganizes
the AT&T chief technology office. review service developed at the AT&T capabilities to establish consistency and
innovation center with SundaySky. ease of use. It makes an organization’s
In 2011, AT&T met with more than internal knowledge accessible in a
500 startups, and in early 2012, the The result is a three-way win: cost savings
company already has met with more from fewer or shorter calls into customer continues to next page ›


semantically consistent manner. “APIs reconstitute their work in a more modular,
simplify things architecturally and create fungible, and co-creation–centric manner.
a better story and capabilities for the
developers by having a common taxonomy,” As a result, APIs are increasingly coming
says Jacob Feinstein, executive director from all parts of the organization and not
of new technology. “If you have a more just from the API program group. The
educated community, they’ll think of new consumer marketing organization, the
things that they might do with the network enterprise marketing organization, the
that they wouldn’t have thought of doing.” product organization, and the emerging
devices organization feed the API pipeline.
The platform strategy extends beyond Teams are also proposing APIs out of
the network assets. “Our APIs cut across the gate with new solutions, including
capabilities such as payment, device teams from AT&T’s network equipment
characteristics, location, messaging, speech providers. “APIs are being thought of at
recognition, and others,” Macwan says. the outset, and they influence the early
“Any developers who want to embed speech ideation around network release and
recognition in their services can just call a road map planning. Now we actively
speech API to access our speech engine.” look at what the API opportunities are
as we roll out each next generation of
“Most of the things we do are candidates network technology,” Feinstein says.
for the new architecture,” Donovan says.
Speed is also a function of an
External outreach organization’s operating model.
changes internal “We’re pivoting toward thinking about
“[The API program] is operating model architecting everything we do in a
an architectural choice Donovan cautions against more API-centric way,” Feinstein adds.
APIs impose modular thinking on the
the common notion that
one makes for speed.” APIs are for giving away enterprise. They have allowed AT&T to
data free just to be nice. reconstitute its capabilities and assets in
—John Donovan, AT&T That thinking limits the modular chunks with stable interfaces.
internal potential of APIs. They have digitized the operations that
“The use of APIs and take place around the company’s network
their impact is not just and the value-added services it delivers.
for outreach to the external developer Being digital, these capabilities are easier
community. It changes how you operate,” to engage with and now operate at a faster
he explains. “You literally put APIs pace with a large number of partners.
everywhere. That’s how you do internal
development, that’s how the IT shop The single principle: Speed
works, that’s how your provider should Despite the size and scale of its
do development for you, that’s how your infrastructure and operations, the
offshore stuff lands into your environment, architecture changes enabled by API
and that’s how you build services.” thinking, API technology, and an API
platform strategy can have a real impact
AT&T is changing on the inside, too, as a on innovation, growth, and the AT&T
result of the API program. The thinking bottom line. “We’re getting faster, and one
and architecture the program represents result is that the architecture is shifting to
are seeping deeper into company one that allows more partnerships. You’ll
operations. Many teams now understand see us do more technology partnerships
the change in thinking the API architecture and move faster, both at the pace of
requires. “People are applying an API lens the market and in terms of innovating
whether they’re in the labs, the network on our own. There will be efficiency
teams, or what traditionally have been benefits as well,” Donovan says.
finished product groups. They offer an
API-centric view of their work,” Feinstein His advice on how to think about APIs:
says. As these diverse groups think about “Operate under one principle and then
ways to support the API program, they architect around it; ours was speed.”


“APIs are the building blocks of the
digital economy.”
—Laura Merling, Alcatel-Lucent

Conclusion This transformation is possible by
The SMAC trends provide strong signals understanding and using RESTful APIs
that business ecosystems are moving and API management technologies.
toward digital ubiquity. As this digital (See the article, “Consumerization
ubiquity evolves, information (bits) will of APIs,” on page 34.) Companies
make up a growing proportion of the that apply modern APIs and PwC’s
overall value that customers experience proposed digital operating model
from any product or service (atoms). thinking have the opportunity to
Successful companies are adjusting their gain competitive advantage through
business and enterprise architectures to reduced friction in co-creating new
be more attuned to participating in or value, building persistent digital
integrating with these expanding digital engagements, and increased agility.
ecosystems. Companies leading in their
engagements with SMAC are adopting Leading software companies have long
a digital operating model, which known that being the dominant platform
supports the permeable enterprise. for an ecosystem creates direct and
indirect demand for their offerings and
Few enterprises are completely ignoring long-term competitive advantage. SMAC
SMAC developments. However, the trends suggest that every company
demands SMAC creates on IT can is, in part (or should try to be), like a
overwhelm CIOs and other business software company in how it creates
executives. In part, that’s because and engages with a digital ecosystem.
business executives are accustomed
to viewing technology opportunities Establishing a platform in the center
through the old lens of being responsible of a robust digital ecosystem requires
for all the end-to-end application logic a digital operating model, one that
and performance. This approach does is appropriately permeable to third
not scale when engaging with SMAC, parties that can co-create new value
as described in the sidebar “Scalable from what a company and others have
integration strategy.” They need a new to offer. It means taking advantage of
model—one based on lower integration the interconnectedness and the rise
and interaction costs—similar to the of empowered customers who will
one web companies have been using. engage actively with a company if it lets
them. It’s time for more companies to
A key transformation is to make a become like a software company within
company’s value-add capabilities their habitat of the digital ecosystem.
addressable in digital ecosystems. And perhaps in some new habitats.


Techforecast 2012-issue-2

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