"There's An App For That" !

If you have never heard the title of this post before, than I may question if you have ever visited planet earth before :-)


"There's An App For That" is an Apple trademarked slogan which was used in a lot of there media campaigns and ads to promote there iPhone. Below is a video that shows one of there ads in this regard.

The thing is that I want to highlight in this manner two things, "App" and "Platform" ( take a side Apple marketing genies ).


Lets start with the definition of an App from my point of view, an App is : An interface that provides interaction and encapsulates a service or set of services which either "add a value", "solve a problem" or simply "entertain" the end user.


So an application is a means for an end, in this logic the same means can be provided via a WEB site, Mobile site, Kiosk or any other interface, sky is the limit !


The smartest / hardest part is always the service not the interface!


The other part that I think need to be highlighted is that all the Apps developed for the iPhone are a result of a well crafted "Platform".


So the definition of a Platform will be as follows : A software solution that provides "customization of it's interface","extensibility" and "exposes services and information in a mean of an API".


I also encourage you to check the following presentation from Yahoo! about designing your product as a platform.

Designing your Product as a Platform

The bottom line is that all the App's that are provided by Apple App Store are a result of two things:

• A Platform that enabled all these creations and innovations to happen, which is the iPhone as platform

• Services behind the apps that solve end user problems or add a value to them, which are innovations of developers or companies

The same goes for Android and other mobile vendors and also goes for products like Chrome web browser, Kindle with its active content and OS like Microsoft, and the list goes on.

The next time you design a solution or an App, take a while to think about the underlying services and if you can build it on top of an existing platform or even build your own platform.

I will share in futre post's my experinace with a platform that I have designed which has the name vPlatform whcih stands for "value platform" and the joy / misery you will encounter when you do something like that, be prepared !

Cheers !

Every thing as an API !

If you worked in the software business before, you will know that there are two types of application to be built :

• Stuffed type of applications, where every thing is mixed with every thing !
• Dip based type of applications, where you select your favorite souse and you have the choice to change the flavor !

What I meant here that the traditional way of looking to an application as an one whole application in no more valid, especially if you are taking your business to the cloud.

The design of applications should start with the services and then later the user authentic, where it may be a web application, a desktop application or even and mobile application well come later.

Here where API's comes in place, and API is just a mean for exposing your services in manner that are consumable by your clients (or others), where API's as quoted from 3scale.com 

"APIs have the power to unlock your assets and enable you to expand beyond your website and to make your data, content or services ubiquitous".

vs.

API normally gives you another dimension that you may never think'd about (if its exposed), it give the potential for other to enhance, mash, extend or even innovate using your API for use cases where it's now an outside-in process vs. inside-out one especially for innovation.

Thats good so far but API's comes with cost also, you have to think of your business as services in early stages and you have to take the time to build the services in an exposable and consumable manner,  since as you know trying to take the "Cheese" from a stuffed curst pizza is not an easy manner :-)

The final thing please, think about the crowd and the cloud and go for Restful type of interfaces  and you will never regret it. 

Find also below links for a set of books that you must have if you want to be in the business of API's :-)

• Practical API Design Practical API Design: Confessions of a Java Framework Architect
• Service Oriented Architecture Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA): A Planning and Implementation Guide for Business and Technology
• Business of API's Business of APIs (Volume 1)

Appreciate your kind comments and feedback.


Cheers !