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Webinar Tomorrow: How to Choose the Right API Management Solution

Jaime Ryan — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:00:02 +0000

On Wednesday morning, Layer 7 will be hosting a webinar on How to Choose the Right API Management Solution. There are many solutions that cover one or two aspects of API Management – just a portal or just a Gateway or just access control. However, a truly comprehensive API Management platform needs to provide a broad range of functionality in the management of four distinct areas: identity, developers, interfaces and operations. We’ll delve into each of these areas and discuss what to look for from your solution.

We’ll also talk about the “-ilities” of an API Management platform: scalability, manageability, extensibility etc. We will illustrate each of these with a real-world Layer 7 customer example. You’ll see why these and other non-functional requirements matter just as much as the solution’s technical capabilities.

So, please join me and Layer 7 Product Manager Dana Crane as we discuss these key API Management criteria tomorrow. There will be time for questions – both technical and conceptual – and all attendees will receive a free copy of the recently-published Forrester Wave for API Management Platforms. See you tomorrow!

Register now for How to Choose the Right API Management Solution >>

API Business ROI

Alex Gaber — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:00:19 +0000

Numerous measurements exist for APIs. On the technical level, these metrics are fairly well understood. However, on the business level, there is a great deal of confusion over how the effectiveness of an API program can be accurately measured.

Layer 7’s March 14 webinar, ROI for APIs – which will feature input from TechCrunch and AT&T – should help to clear up some of this confusion. In particular, the webinar will focus on how hackthons can be used to gather valuable data for API ROI measurement.

How you measure your API ROI will depend on the purpose your APIs play in the greater business picture. Therefore, to provide a little primer for the webinar, I thought it would be helpful to give examples of a few API business models and how they might generate revenue.

Per API Call
Text messages sent via an API are billed at $0.01 per message
Per API Payload
Voice transcriptions via an API are billed at $0.01 per word
Transactional Revenue
An API call delivers a purchase
Firehose API
A monthly subscription provides unlimited API access
Platform API
An existing SaaS platform provides an API for partner integrations

To learn more, register for the webinar – ROI for APIs: Using Hackathons to Evaluate Your API Program featuring TechCrunch and AT&T.

Clarifying “Hybrid Mobile App”

Alex Gaber — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:00:54 +0000

Tomorrow, I’ll be presenting a webinar called 5 Ways to Get Top Mobile App Developer Talent for Your Open APIs. Preparing for this webinar got me thinking about different types of mobile app and how they relate to APIs. One thing that occurred to me was how loosely the term “hybrid mobile app” is used – I’ve seen it used to define two very different types of app.

1. Hybrid HTML5/Native Mobile Apps
The term “hybrid mobile app” is often employed to describe an app that is created using a WORA (write once run anywhere) framework like PhoneGap or Appcelerator. These frameworks basically make it simple for developers to generate mobile apps using HTML5, Javascript and CSS.

In the case of Phonegap this app will essentially be a “wrapped” Web site. For PhoneGap apps, developers will often use a UI framework as well, such as JQuery Mobile or Sencha. These UI frameworks look “good enough” on mobile devices, although they should not be confused with the true native UI controls of iOS, Android etc.

In the case of Appcelerator, the generated app can actually leverage the true native sliders, scrollers, date pickers etc. of the device OS. The limitation to this approach is that a developer is fully locked in to what Appcelerator provides. Currently it offers builds for native iOS and Android as well as an HTML5 build, which could potentially be run through PhoneGap.

2. Hybrid API-Driven/Thin-Client Mobile Apps
The term is also used to describe apps that are installed on and run entirely on the mobile device – similar to how a totally native, offline game or other app might work – but which rely on a data connection for presenting Web-based resources, enterprise application functionality or other information assets.

Of course, these information assets are made accessible to the apps via APIs, which is where Layer 7 comes into the equation. In tomorrow’s webinar, I’ll be mainly focused on hybrid mobile apps that are powered by APIs and discussing aspects that are important to address when developing an HTML5 hybrid native app that is also a hybrid API-driven native app. Click here if you want to find out more about the webinar or if you’d like to register.

Top 5 Resources from Layer 7 in 2012

Sam Macklin — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:00:31 +0000

This year has seen incredible growth in the API economy, particularly as it relates to the proliferating mobile app ecosystem. At Layer 7 technologies, we are committed to helping enterprises understand these issues through a range of thought leadership activities. As a part of this, we’ve published a great deal of content in our Resource Library during 2012. With the year drawing to a close, it seems like a great opportunity to review some of the most popular pieces.

We tackled issues around mobile and BYOD head-on in a white paper called Secure Mobile Access for Enterprise Employees, which describes how enterprises can securely open their data and application functionality to mobile devices via custom-made apps. Another popular white paper was Federated Identity & Single Sign-On, which explores identity federation for API, mobile, SOA and cloud.

Our webinars featuring input from Forrester Research also drew a lot of interest, especially A Practical Guide to API Security & OAuth for the Enterprise, which provided real-world insight into deploying OAuth as the access control component of a complete API Management solution. Forrester also helped us explore enterprise mobile enablement in another webinar, How to Make Your Enterprise Applications Mobile Ready, Fast.

Looking to the future, Layer 7 will be publishing a series of eBooks, outlining essentials for addressing key issues around API Management and Mobile Access. We got a great reaction from the first of these, called 5 Ways to Get Top Mobile App Developer Talent for Your Open APIs. Over the coming months, we’ll also be publishing eBooks talking about mobile enablement and OAuth. Be sure to watch out for those!

Upcoming Webinar: Open APIs + Software Competitions = Innovative & Creative Solutions featuring ChallengePost

Alex Gaber — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:30:22 +0000

Open API publishers often find themselves testing different strategies for promoting their APIs to developers. Hackathons represent a quick and easy way to get publicity and traction but API publishers often find the effects to be short-lived, with few meaningful mobile apps or Web mash-ups actually getting built.

At Layer 7, we work with our customers to help them drive real and measurable business results from their APIs. One specific method that has proven successful over time is running software competitions. As a partner with the leading online competition platform, ChallengePost, Layer 7 helps customers create developer challenges that get the desired results.

Within the scope of a hackathon – even one with unlimited Red Bull and experienced developers – time constraints will always force teams to cut corners and deliver prototypes or alpha/beta applications. By taking the idea of a hackathon and stretching it out over weeks or months, API publishers see drastically improved results.

Online challenges give developers the time to write quality code and build their applications from alpha, to beta, to production. Developer challenges also give API publishers more meaningful ways to engage with the participating teams. Meanwhile, offering prizes creates incentives that drive real, committed interest from developers.

I’ll be looking more deeply into the ins and outs of developer competitions on October 4, when I co-present a webinar called Open APIs + Software Competitions = Innovative & Creative Solutions, alongside Brandon Kessler of ChallengePost. Click here if you want to see more details of this event or if you’re interested in registering to attend.

From the Vault: Understanding Mobile IAM with Forrester Research

Steven Tait — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:30:55 +0000

In the new hybrid enterprise, organizations need to manage business functions that flow across their domain boundaries in all directions. Increasingly, this means using APIs as conduits for opening up information to services running in the cloud and apps running on mobile devices like the iPad. For enterprises, securing and governing these APIs is not straightforward.

Meanwhile, BYOD is making Mobile Access an urgent issue for enterprises; forcing them to make application functionality available to app developers in a consistent, easily-consumable, mobile-optimized manner, via APIs. Therefore, enterprise technologies are evolving to support API-based mobile interactions.

Identity and access management (IAM) represents a key concern for enterprise IT and it is particularly crucial in BYOD/enterprise mobile scenarios. Mobile IAM requires fundamentally new approaches and the adoption of new standards such as OAuth.

These are some of the most critical issues facing IT departments today but the associated techniques and technologies are not necessarily that well understood in the enterprise world. Therefore, I’d like to take this opportunity to flag up some relevant webinars from the Layer 7 archive, all of which feature Forrester Research.

If you’re facing the challenge of ensuring secure access in an enterprise mobile scenario, these resources should help you make sense of the issues:

How to Make Your Enterprise Applications Mobile Ready, Fast
Leverage backend mobile middleware to deliver mobile ready enterprise APIs
Find out more >>
Identity, Access & Privacy in the New Hybrid Enterprise
Make sense of OAuth, OpenID Connect and UMA
Find out more >>
A Practical Guide to API Security & OAuth for the Enterprise
Implement OAuth as part of an enterprise-level API security solution
Find out more >>

Upcoming Webinar: How to Run a Successful Hackathon for Your Open APIs

Sam Macklin — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:00:46 +0000

Hackathons are exploding in popularity and open API publishers are quickly realizing the power these intensive programming sessions have to attract developers. For API publishers, hackathons represent one of the most powerful means for growing an API’s profile and engaging directly with talented developers.

On July 12, Layer 7 will be presenting a live webinar called How to Run a Successful Hackathon for Your Open APIs. This interactive one-hour session will give you the key knowledge you will need in order to use hackathons as a tool for engaging app developers and building a community around your open APIs.

For this webinar, we will be joined by leading API evangelist and author Kin Lane who will deliver real-world advice on how to organize hackathons that will truly contribute to the success of your API publishing program. Click here to get more information and to register for the webinar today.

Mobile Webinar with Forrester Research, Inc. & Eli Lilly

Sam Macklin — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:00:15 +0000

On Thursday June 21, Layer 7 will be presenting a live webinar called How to Make Your Enterprise Applications Mobile Ready, Fast, which will include input from Forrester Analyst Jeff Hammond and Tom Nienhaus of Eli Lilly. With issues like BYOD and iPad field enablement becoming increasingly important for many enterprises, this promises to be an extremely interesting webinar.

These issues raise new and highly significant security and management challenges for enterprises. This webinar will look at the most significant mobile challenges facing enterprises and propose some real-world solutions. The goal is to provide practical insight into how on-premise application functionality can be securely exposed, via mobile-friendly APIs, to apps and the developers who build them.

Space is limited so please don’t hesitate to register for the webinar today.

Forrester, ProgrammableWeb & Swagger: Upcoming Webinars

Sam Macklin — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:40:08 +0000

These are eventful times for Layer 7, with staff-members appearing at trade shows across North America and Europe. Notably, our CTO Scott Morrison has been undertaking what he’s termed his APIs, Cloud & Identity Tour. Somehow, Scott is also finding time to take part in a couple of the company’s upcoming Web seminars.

On May 29, he’ll be presenting our latest Tech Talk Tuesday meet-up, titled Swagger, WADL & API ‘Scriptions. This interactive session will take a look at the relative merits of different standards for creating formalized, machine-interpretable API descriptions. For full details on how to view and join in with this event, visit the Tech talk Tuesday page.

The following day, Scott will be reprising the recent webinar Identity, Access & Privacy for the New Hybrid Enterprise, featuring Eve Maler of Forrester Research, Inc. This is a special live presentation for the Asia/Pacific region (at 11am Sydney time/9am Singapore time). For more information, take a look at the webinar registration page.

Scott gets a break when Product Manager Dana Crane takes over webinar duty on June 5 for Getting Your API Discovered: The Secret to API Promotion, featuring ProgrammableWeb Founder John Musser. This session will explore a range of best practices for building a community of API developers. Registration is open now and you can click here to sign up.

APIs, Cloud & Identity Tour 2012: Three Cities, Two Talks, Two Panels & a Catalyst

Scott Morrison — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:00:09 +0000

On May 15-16 2012, I will be at the Privacy Identity Innovation (pii2012) conference held at the Bell Harbour International Conference Center in Seattle. I will be participating in a panel moderated by Eve Maler from Forrester Research, Inc., titled Privacy, Zero Trust & the API Economy. It will take place at 2:55pm on Tuesday May 15:

“The Facebook Connect model is real, it’s powerful and now it’s everywhere. Large volumes of accurate information about individuals can now flow easily through user-authorized API calls. Zero Trust requires initial perfect distrust between disparate networked systems but are we encouraging users to add back too much trust, too readily? What are the ways this new model can be used for ‘good’ and ‘evil’ and how can we mitigate the risks?”

On Thursday May 17 at 9am PDT, I will be delivering a webinar on API identity technologies, once again with Eve Maler from Forrester. We are going to talk about the idea of zero trust with APIs, an important stance to adopt as we approach what Eve often calls “the coming identity singularity” – that is, the time when identity technologies and standards will finally line up with real and immediate need in the industry. Here is the abstract for this webinar:

“Identity, Access & Privacy in the New Hybrid Enterprise: Making Sense of OAuth, OpenID Connect & UMA
In the new hybrid enterprise, organizations need to manage business functions that flow across their domain boundaries in all directions: partners accessing internal applications; employees using mobile devices; internal developers mashing up Cloud services; internal business owners working with third-party app developers.

Integration increasingly happens via APIs and native apps, not browsers. Zero trust is the new starting point for security and access control and it demands Internet scale and technical simplicity – requirements the go-to Web services solutions of the past decade, like SAML and WS-Trust, struggle to solve.

This webinar from Layer 7 Technologies, featuring special guest Eve Maler of Forrester Research, Inc., will:

Discuss emerging trends for access control inside the enterprise
Provide a blueprint for understanding adoption considerations

You will learn:

Why access control is evolving to support mobile, Cloud and API-based interactions
How the new standards (OAuth, OpenID Connect and UMA) compare to technologies like SAML
How to implement OAuth and OpenID Connect, based on case study examples”

You can sign up for this webinar at the Layer 7 Technologies Web site.

Next week, I’m off to Dublin to participate in TMForum Management World 2012. I wrote earlier about the defense catalyst Layer 7 is participating in that explores the problem of how to manage Clouds in the face of developing physical threats. If you are at the show, you must drop by the Forumville section on the show floor and have a look. The project results are very encouraging.

I’m also doing a presentation and participating in a panel. The presentation title is API Management: What Defense & Service Providers Need to Know. Here is the abstract:

“APIs promise to revolutionize the integration of mobile devices, on-premise computing and the Cloud. They are the secret sauce that allows developers to bring any systems together quickly and efficiently. Within a few years, every service provider will need a dedicated API group responsible for management, promotion and even monetization of this important new channel to market. And in the defense arena, where agile integration is an absolute necessity, APIs cannot be overlooked.

In this talk, you will learn:

Why APIs are revolutionizing Internet communications
Why this is an important opportunity for you
How you can successfully manage an API program
Why developer outreach matters
What tools and technologies you must put in place”

This talk will take place at the Dublin Conference Centre on Wednesday May 23 at 11:30am.

The panel, organized by my friend Nava Levy from Cvidya, is titled Cloud Adoption – Resolving the Trust vs. Uptake paradox: Understanding & Addressing Customers’ Security & Data Portability Concerns to Drive Uptake.

Here is the panel abstract:

“As Cloud services continue to grow five times faster vs. traditional IT, it seems that concerns re security and data portability are also on the rise. In this session, we will explain the roots of this paradox and the opportunities that arise from resolving these trust issues. By examining the different approaches other Cloud providers utilize to address these issues, we will see how service providers, by properly understanding and addressing these concerns, can use trust concerns as a competitive advantage against many Cloud providers who don’t have the carrier-grade trust as one of their core competencies. We will see that, by addressing fraud, security, data portability and governance risks heads on, not only will the uptake of Cloud services rise to include mainstream customers and conservative verticals but also the type of data and processes that will migrate to the Cloud will become more critical to the customers.”

The panel is on Thursday May 24 at 9:50am.