A New Breed of Technical Leaders: The 101 to Defining Your API Business Strategy

Copyright © 2001-2013 SOA Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2001-2013 SOA Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

A New Breed of Technical

Leaders:

The 101 to Defining Your API

Business Strategy

Laura Heritage@heritagelaura


Dramatization of a Typical Scenario

Some C Level

Mr. Enterprise Architect I

just talked to X Analyst.

We need APIs. APIs

are our #1 priority

Enterprise / API

Architect

We’ve been doing APIs for Years with SOA.

We just need to revamp the SOAP to REST.

Executive Business

Sponsor

Mr. Enterprise Architect,

what on earth is that

going to do for my

business?

Woo Hoo! I finally get the

gov. platform I’ve needed

to manages our internal

services!!!

Hmmm?

We need an API Platform to help us do that

revamp and an API Platform provides easier

consumption, security, monetization etc. , .

Mr. Business Sponsor can I have the $ for

the platform?


APIs – Extend the Reach of your Business

Enterprise / API

Architect

Executive Business

Sponsor

APIs Extend the

reach of your

business……

That is IT mumbo jumbo.

What does that mean?


STOP The SHOW!!!!


To an Architect the Benefits are Obvious,

Typically Seen in 4 Adoption Patterns

Accelerate

Drive Monetize

Analyze

APIs

• 4 External Innovation

• 3 Partner

• 2 Mobile

• 1 Internal


Your Business Executives Will Not Find it Obvious.

Show them the MONEY!


For Example Take a Banking Scenario

Executive Business

Sponsor

I want to streamline the way we

reach and sell/upsell to small to

medium business to grow

revenue.

Enterprise / API

Architect

We have core business function that

would help SMB run their businesses

easier. We could expose these as

APIs/services and either sell them or

give them away to SMBs as a

mechanism to get more business from

the SMB market.

Tell me more


Do Your Research,

Build a Straw Man Business Case

• Show what your competitors are doing

• Show a business case with projection of

revenue impact

• Show them a pilot execution plan


Success but Now What?

Enterprise / API

Architect

Yes! Success I get my

management platform!

Executive Business

Sponsor

Sounds good.

What do we need to do?.


Must Treat Your API As a Product

API

The Product

MARKET ANALYSISBUSINESS CASE

ESTABLISH TEAM

COMMUNICATION PLAN

BUSINESS MODEL

LEGAL

MARKETING

SALES ENABLEMENT

SUPPORT

SALES EXECUTION

TECHNICAL PLATFORM

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS


Digital Stakeholders In the Enterprise

Executive Business

Sponsor

API Product

Manager

Chief Digital

Officer

API Developer

Developer Advocate Digital Marketing Digital Sales

Enterprise / API

Architect

Chief information

Security Officer

Operations Lead

Executive Sponsors

Go To Market

API Team


Understand the Value Chain Of the API

App Developer /

Partner

End User

AP

I

AP

P

API Product

Manager

API Product Manager must understand not only how

a Developer or Partner would use the API, but also

why an End User would use the Developer/Partners

APP


Where Do You Source The API From?

Business Process SOA Services

Databases

Cloud Services

Mainframe Applications BI Systems


API Business Models - Basic

Courtesy of John Musser

API Product

ManagerExecutive Business

Sponsor


API Business Models – A closer look

Courtesy of John Musser


Communication Plans Are Important

For example: What should happen when a partner/developer reports a problem?

App Developer /

Partner

I found a Problem

API Product

Manager

Developer Advocate

1. Opens a ticket

2. Notified received ticket

3. Notified of problem

3. Is Notified if Major Problem

5. It is Fixed

App Developer /

Partner Community

4. Informed of Issue

API Developer

5. Informed of Fix

Chief information

Security Officer

3. Is Notified if

Security Related


How Does the Partner Submit an Problem?

API Developer


API Legal Aspects Need Your Attention

API Product

Manager


Information Security, Need I Say More?

Chief information

Security Officer

PCI Data Security Photo by Purpleslog on flickr


API Marketing Plan

Digital Marketing

Executive

• What type of developer/partners are you

targeting?

• Does the API/Service you are delivering meet their

needs?

• What types of message resonate?

• What types of campaigns will you need?

• Can you reach your targets through trade shows?

• Will a hackathon increase adoption or provide

benefit?

• Do you have to hire an outside marketing team to

help reach your target?


Developer and Partner Outreach

App Developer /

Partner

Developer Advocate

How are you going to reach them?

How are you going to communicate with them?


Establish an API Sales Plan If You are Monetizing

Digital Sales

Executive

It is not a “build it they will come”

Without a proper sales plan you will FAIL


Each Stakeholder will Need Tools to Be

Successful

• Measure the impact of your programsAnalytics

• Build your developer and partner ecosystemDeveloper Engagement

• Secure and protect your systemsGateway Services

• Simplify and speed up developmentService Integration

• Build the right services & APIs the right wayLifecycle Management


API Platforms Address the Needs of Multiple

Stakeholders

Platform

Licensing

Quota Mgmt.

Partner Mgmt.

PCI Compliance

Provisioning

Policy Mgmt.

Monitoring

OAuth

Federation

Analytics

Lifecycle

API/Services

Application

User

Compliance

Integrations

Gateway

Security

Authentication

Protection

IAM Integration

Encryption

Mediation

Quality of Service

Paging/Caching

Orchestration

Scripting

API Portal

Search

Documentation

Groups

Social


The Unified SOA & API Platform

Analytics

Developer Engagement

Gateway Services

Service Integration

Lifecycle Management


Unified Platform that Supports Each Stakeholder


Flexible Deployment Model

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