Data APIs

by Kin Lane on 01/27/2011

A common reason for deploying an API is to share data with users outside of your organization.

You need to make information accessible to partners or general public, but in a way that's self-service so you can avoid emailing a spreadsheet every time someone asks for something.

You do this with a data API. Data APIs can:

Provide an list of names and addresses for your upcoming event.
Deliver news to web sites and mobile phone in real-time.
Deliver products such as books from Amazon.com to other smaller, specialty web sites just focusing on cookbooks.
Delivers census data from the federal government about who lives in your state to your local unemployment office.

A data API is proving to be the easiest way to exchange information -- whether it's between businesses, between the government and the public, or between your Facebook profile and your mobile phone.

Web, desktop, and mobile applications are all being developed to depend on data from various private and public APIs. These data APIs are launched to satisfy our growing appetite for real-time information and updates on a daily basis.