Beyond the API: Why Companies Should Have a Presence on All Major Platforms - ReadWriteWeb 

Much has been written lately about the rise of the API . Offering a programming interface to an online service is now standard practice amongst this generation of web companies. Through APIs, we get to ... enjoy a range of innovative Twitter clients, wide availability of maps and location information, custom search engines, and more. However, delivering superior user experience on major platforms should be as much of a priority as opening up via an API. Just because an API enables companies to create a third party ecosystem around their service, it doesn't mean that the company itself shouldn't be an active player in it. Web sites are only one kind of presence that companies can have today. Social Networks like Facebook and MySpace, mobile platforms like iPhone and Blackberry, browser extensions and RIA Applications all have an equal - sometimes considerably larger - share of users attention. Figuring out which presence should be delivered by the website vs. a third party is an important q   [More...] [Less...]