• by August 5, 2005

What's in an API?

Well, as it turns out, everything.

An Application Programming Interface, or API, "is a set of definitions of the ways one piece of computer software communicates with another," according to Wikipedia, our new favorite online resource.

APIs enable several technologies to talk to one another and when they are made "open," they are more easily updated -- or at least that's what we're told. At any rate, Mike Leo, the CEO of Operative, which until recently was called Trafficmac, has issued a call-to-action to open APIs.

He says one of the reasons why there are so many discrepancies in the interactive industry when it comes to data, is because online publishers, vendors, agencies, advertisers, and other online stakeholders have technologies that can't talk to one another. Each player has different impression numbers. And, any major online site is probably dealing with more than three different providers of data and analysis. How do you reconcile the numbers?

Leo believes the time has come to open the APIs. "The big thing that we're trying to address in the industry are the operational issues. In the last few years, rather than getting simpler, things have gotten more complex," Leo explains.

"Publishers have been asking for access to data since 1997 and I think the providers found this difficult," Leo says, conceding that there are some technical challenges to opening APIs.

Speaking on an AdMonsters panel a few months ago, Leo said online publishers need to demand that APIs be opened and that they should put it in their contracts. "I said next time they renew a contract, they should demand that providers use every reasonable means to give publishers access to the data." Leo maintains that providers won't do it willingly, "it does take a little bit of work" and "especially the larger providers like to hold on to the data because there are other ways for them to monetize it."

"The publishers really need to drive this," Leo says. "And to be frank, this helps Operative. We provide integration services for our clients. We're already integrated with a lot of these sources anyway, but we think it's sort of strange that publishers are having problems getting access to their own data. I think this needs to be a broader push."

Operative hopes that by promoting the idea of open APIs, companies on all sides of the business (buy-side, sell-side, and the vendors for each) will be able to streamline transactions and offer more seamless operations. It should also result in cost savings, something that everyone wants.