Blockbuster Video is launching a cross-channel API designed to deliver films, reviews and real-time inventory to consumers phones, set top boxes, gaming consoles, and other point-of-sale
locations (gas stations), reports ReadWriteWeb. "The Blockbuster story is another example of how companies are re-architecting through open API's to reconfigure their businesses," writes the blog.
"An API strategy gives Blockbuster the leverage to give the customer a unified experience across multiple channels ... It also opens new ways to sell products as the API can present the right
information at the right time on the platform of the customer's choice." Similarly, Blockbuster is also updating its iPhone app to reflect the new cross-channel efforts. Whether these forward-thinking
efforts will be enough to pull Blockbuster back from the brink of near bankruptcy remains to be seen.
Comcast On Demand - no late fees, buh-bye Blockbuster. Too little, too late.