> The question becomes though who does the integrations? Not everyone is a developer. The world needs plumbers for toilets and electricians for lights. I think the future of web development looks a lot like these industries. If a website is a house you'll hire a general contractor who will outsource to various experts in various APIs. At least that's our take on it.
I certainly believe that in some cases, companies will take advantage of APIs directly. In many others, however, I think you're more likely to see new businesses built on top of APIs. These businesses will develop the applications that companies use.
A key thing to consider is that a lot of functions that the new breed of API providers seek to provide are currently bundled with other products/services that customers don't necessarily need.
Example: Company A might be spending $xxx/month for a service that provides X, Y and Z when it only really values Z. If an API provider can aggregate enough demand around function Z so that third parties can cost-effectively build offerings around function Z only, Company A may now have the ability to find a service that meets its needs at a lower cost.
So while I'm sure there's going to be a healthy market for developers focused on API integration, I think the bigger opportunities are around taking advantage of these APIs to create more focused, cost-effective solutions. Think of it as the software industry's equivalent of "unbundling."
I certainly believe that in some cases, companies will take advantage of APIs directly. In many others, however, I think you're more likely to see new businesses built on top of APIs. These businesses will develop the applications that companies use.
A key thing to consider is that a lot of functions that the new breed of API providers seek to provide are currently bundled with other products/services that customers don't necessarily need.
Example: Company A might be spending $xxx/month for a service that provides X, Y and Z when it only really values Z. If an API provider can aggregate enough demand around function Z so that third parties can cost-effectively build offerings around function Z only, Company A may now have the ability to find a service that meets its needs at a lower cost.
So while I'm sure there's going to be a healthy market for developers focused on API integration, I think the bigger opportunities are around taking advantage of these APIs to create more focused, cost-effective solutions. Think of it as the software industry's equivalent of "unbundling."