Author Archives: Hussain Fakhruddin

Top 15 App Ideas For 2017

In February 2016, the total number of apps available for download at the Google Play Store touched the 2 million mark. It took a little longer for Apple App Store to reach the milestone, which it finally arrived at in June. Given the sheer variety of iPhone and Android applications currently at the online stores, it is not the easiest task in the world for mobile app developers to come up with new and innovative ideas – which can actually be transformed into meaningful, useful apps. Today, we take a look at some interesting app ideas, which might well be worked upon in 2017:

Personalized recipe app

No, we are not talking about yet another application that lists hundreds of standard recipes for users. Instead, there can be an app in which people would be able to enter the names of ingredients – and in turn, the app would display the possible dishes that can be made with them. The biggest utility of such an app (can be made for both iOS and Android) would lie in the fact that users would get new recipe ideas with the ingredients they already have – instead of having to step out to buy stuff. A nominal amount would have to be paid for downloading recipes. Professional chefs as well as others interested in cooking will have the option to upload their own recipes on the app, for a certain pre-specified fee.
Bus timetable app

This one would be for the daily commuters – to school, college, workplace, anywhere. The app would remove the uncertainties and sheer frustration of having to wait at bus-stands for several minutes (not to mention that feeling when you ONLY JUST miss a bus!). Based on the destination entered in the app, it would throw up bus numbers and the times they are expected to arrive at the bus stops nearest to users. In addition, notification alerts will be generated when 3-4 minutes remain for the scheduled arrival of a bus (a strong backend API support, along with powerful GPS integration will be required). That way, people will be able to step out of home and arrive at the bus stop…always at the right time.
App for buyers

We have plenty of mobile apps for sellers – where sellers can place ads of their products/services, have customers get in touch with them, and generate fruitful sales/business leads. How about having a mobile shopping app that ‘thinks’ from the buyers’ perspective. That’s right, it will be pretty innovative if there could be an application where buyers would be able to post their demands (along with pictures (if possible), specifications, and preferred price range). Vendors who sell those products would be able to contact buyers and complete the deal. A handy option for buyers, and an opportunity for sellers to take a pick from multiple trade options. This app will be a ‘win-win’ tool for all parties concerned.
Medical information app

A health app that would make all the important health information available to users, in the matter of a few taps. There can be a provision of linking a person’s unique ID (say, Passport or Pan Card) with all the medications (s)he has ever been prescribed in his/her lifetime. In addition, medical history of family members will also be uploadable. This would make it easier than ever for doctors to understand the case history of patients as well as to gauge the possibility of any hereditary diseases. What’s more, insurance agents – by paying a certain fee – can access the medical information of clients.
App for activating home appliances

With all the buzz about Internet of Things (IoT) at present, interest in creating ‘smart homes’ is likely to spike further in 2017. It would be a cool idea to create an iPhone paid app, that would be paired with a specially designed ‘smart switch’ – for switching on common gadgets and appliances at home. For instance, the app can be used to turn on the heater, switch on the refrigerator, or even put on the electric kettle. There should be a customized version of this app for Apple Watch too.
Story contribution app

This one won’t be like the many mobile storytelling apps out there, which already have a certain number of stories in them (either free or through paid downloads). Instead, on this app, a user will have to start a story, write a few (say, 60) words, and then leave it in a ‘new story thread’. Another user, from anywhere in the globe, can pick it up and write the next 60 words. The story would expand in this manner, till a final word limit (1000, for example) is reached. User-curated storytelling app with a difference!
Brand/product profiler app

This can be built like an app for shoppers. At a large shopping outlet, products of many brands are displayed – and it is often tricky for buyers to make a choice from them. With this app installed in their handsets, all that they would have to do is point their smartphones in the direction of any product. The app will read off the product brand, and instantly display a brief history of the brand, current reputation, and a few selected customer reviews for the concerned product (if the product is a brand new one, the reviews would be for the brand). With more information at the fingertips, choosing the best products at shopping malls will become easier.
Charge sharing app

Let’s just accept this – the battery performance of smartphones is not going to become great anytime soon. We have all faced the problem of our smartphones running out of battery at the most inappropriate of times. With a charge sharing app, users will be able to send out a ‘share charge’ request to all smartphone-owners within a small radius. The person who picks up a request will have to fulfill it (a certain payment will be required for the charge shared). In addition, the ‘charge suppliers’ will have the final say on what percentage of battery power is to be shared. With an app like this, chances of your phone dying at any time will become just that bit lower.
Picnic planner app

How often have you been confused about where to head to for a day out with your family? A custom picnic planner application (can be made for iOS, Android and Windows Phone) should put an end to such problems. Once you put in the preferred duration of your day trip and your budget details, the app will show multiple attractive picnic destinations (which fit your choice). Tapping on the picture/name of each place would display a screen with a brief description and list of tourist attractions over there.
App for flirting/dating

The frustration of finding a person of the opposite gender attractive, gathering up enough courage to strike up a conversation with him/her, and finding that (s)he is already engaged is…well…understandable (!) for people who have already suffered such misfortunes. At a party or any social gathering, a person will have the option to mark him/herself as ‘I’m Single’. Next, (s)he will be able to view the profiles of other such ‘single’ users. No chances of suffering a heartache here – the app would make sure that people who are looking for a date would indeed find a suitable person, without any hassles. Users will have the option to specify whether they are looking for a one-time date, a limited-period fling (summer holidays, for instance), or a long-term relationship.
App to play your favourite music at public places

You step into a restaurant, music videos are being played on the beautiful television screens over there…and you do not like the music one bit. By 2017, there should be at least one app (probably more!) to change this. Users will be able to start their favourite YouTube music videos and point it towards the televisions/music players at such public places. The YouTube API will get added to the query, and your favourite video will be added to the playlist. Users will also get the option to view and upvote any video on the playlist. If your favourites match with what most people like, you might find your song playing at the restaurant soon!
Tell a cartoon story app

Every picture has its own story, right? Well, things can be made a lot more interesting if you could portray your life in the form of a comic strip – with the images stored on your phone. The app will need to have a large-ish number of cartoon templates and storyboards, along with effects, filters, emoticons, and of course comic-strip themed captions. Once your comic strip is ready, you can share it directly on Facebook and Twitter. Your life story as a series of comics – now that’s an interesting thought!
App for a cleaner neighborhood

This app would be best built for the iOS platform, and its target audience would be all responsible citizens who take it on themselves to maintain the cleanliness of their localities. Users shall be able to take snaps of unclean, cluttered, garbage-dumped spots in their neighborhood, and upload the same on the app. Next, they have to create a ‘cleaning project’, along with a pre-specified budget. Once that is done, the local municipal bodies and NGOs will be notified – and the dirty areas will be cleaned by professionals, in exchange of the mentioned fee. There are many people who do not mind spending a bit for getting a healthier, cleaner environment – and for them, an app like this would be ideal.
Rain prediction app

There is a gamut of weather apps at Apple itunes and Google Play Store. All of them provide weather forecasts (accurately or otherwise!). A rain prediction app would be an upgrade over such existing applications. The app will be created with a strong and updated backend support, and would display the actual number of minutes before rain is expected to arrive – when the mobile device is pointed towards the sky (if no rain is expected within the next 24 hours, a message will be generated for users). Any mobile app company that takes up the challenge of making a rain predictor app will have to make sure about its accuracy. If it functions well, the app can be of great help to everyone.
A ‘No Smoking’ app

For those who are trying to quit smoking, this app can deliver some extra motivation. When a user lights up a cigarette, (s)he will also have to launch the app, and enter all the details of his/her smoke – right from the cigarette brand, to its length and type (i.e., filtered or non-filtered). The app would track and show the extent of damage having that cigarette is doing to your lungs (in particular), and your health (overall). The data can be shown both numerically and visually. Real-time tracking of the harm that smoking does – if that does not keep you away from the temptations of frequently having a puff, nothing will!

There are plenty of existing apps at the stores (for example, instant voice translator apps for conversations with a foreigner) that can do with some improvement. Apart from the ones mentioned above, 2017 might well see a whole new range of home security, decoration, shopping and educational apps – each with something new on offer. There will be a decided focus on making apps for wearables as well. The ball is now in the court of mobile app agencies across the world to work on new app ideas, and make the overall ‘app economy’ more diverse, more interesting.

Are You Familiar With These 9 API Testing Tools?

Among the many concerns of API providers, the biggest is related to API quality and performance (as highlighted in a previous post). In a API security webinar conducted by SmartBear and Axway, 56% of the attendees mentioned that security is a ‘very important’ feature in APIs. Rather strangely, only around 12% of the same group of people stated that they had a proper API security testing procedure in place. Apart from security, many other issues can affect the performance of APIs. According to reports, nearly 25% of all API issues remain unresolved after a week – a significant figure considering that 1 out of 3 customers is likely to switch to another provider in such cases. In today’s feature, we will briefly highlight some common types of API testing, before moving on to 9 effective API testing tools:

Types Of API Testing

Before we get any further into this discussion, let’s clear the concept of ‘API Testing’ first. As is the case for any software and mobile applications, testing is all about finding out bugs and inconsistencies in performance, so that they can be resolved quickly, prior to final launch. For testing APIs, custom software is employed to make API calls. The system generates a response, which is recorded and logged. The focus is on ensuring that the API itself, and its associated integrations, are functioning as they are supposed to (and there is consistency across different conditions). Here are the main types of API testing that are performed at organizations:

Usability Testing – This is done to check the user-friendliness of new APIs. With ‘the learning curve’ being an important factor in determining the overall API quality, thorough usability testing is vital.
Proficiency Testing – What are APIs supposed to do? That’s right, they should enhance the productivity of the web and mobile app developers. As the name suggests, this form of testing is done to find whether an API actually helps developers/end-users.
Load Testing – The number of calls that an API has to handle is likely to vary with time. Through systematic load testing, providers can check whether APIs can handle huge call volumes.
Security Testing – Arguably, the most important form of API testing. All the security specifications of an API, right from access control and user authentication, to required permissions, are checked through security testing of APIs.
Discovery Testing – More commonly known as API documentation testing, this is done to ensure that users have enough guidance in the form of formal documentation.
Functionality Testing – The most basic type of API testing. Functionality testing is about finding out whether an API is ‘functioning’ as it is meant to. If not, the root cause(s) are identified and resolved.
Reliability Testing – These are the tests performed to determine whether the responses/outputs from APIs are consistent for different projects, in all scenarios.

In addition to the above, Creativity Testing for APIs is also often performed by companies. The purpose for this is determining the extent of customization supported by an API.

Tools For API Testing

Not having access to the required technology/resources, and not delegating the tasks to the correct individual/team are two key reasons behind API testing often remaining incomplete and half-baked. You need to have proper working knowledge of these tools, to make sure that your APIs never fall short on the quality front:

HttpMaster

Primarily used to test web API calls (i.e., load testing), the HttpMaster tool automates the overall process of web application testing. POST, GET and DELETE are some of the common http methods supported in this tool, along with a fairly large array of validation methods and expressions. API requests can be clubbed into batches with the dynamic parameters of the web development tool, making the testing process easier for developers. In addition to API testing, HttpMaster can be used for website testing and service testing as well.
Apache JMeter

A Java-based, multi-utility, open-source tool for load testing and functionality testing of the endpoints of Web services APIs. JMeter is increasingly being used to test RESTful APIs as well. The multi-threaded feature of this tool makes it ideal for performing effective, accurate load testing. Multiple protocol types are supported by Apache JMeter (FTP, LDAP, SOAP/REST, HTTP/HTTPS, and more), during performance testing and load testing of APIs.
SoapUI

One of the most ‘complete’ API testing tools out there at present. From load and regression testing, to compliance and, obviously, functional testing can be done with this software resource. The built-in Groovy support enables API testers to generate complicated validation scripts with ease, while web method requests can be used to directly generate test cases. SoapUI offers cross-platform functionality and serves as a tool for testing both REST APIs and SOAP APIs. Assertions (created with XQuery or XPath) are used to generate the web method results. The test setup in SoapUI can also be altered, as and when required.
DHC

Created by Restlet, DHC is a widely used Web API testing resource. The tool allows users to seamless integrate the API testing procedure with their Continuous Integration (CI) and/or Continuous Delivery (CD) delivery methods. The built-in graphical user-interface of DHC doubles up as an excellent visual tool for monitoring API calls. A large number of API requests can be bunched together in test scenarios, with the tool having the capability to handle requests of varying complexity. The responses to requests can be analyzed easily too.
Postman

For manual API testing, Postman – which is basically a Google Chrome plug-in – can be just the perfect tool. Since Postman is, in essence, a high-end HTTP client, it supports practically all forms of modern web API data (for extraction or exploration). The interface of the tool allows testers to write out custom Boolean test scripts, while batches of REST calls can be created and saved (for later execution) too. A big advantage of Postman is that it is not a command-line based tool (unlike, say, CURL), which makes using it considerably easier.
Runscope

Generally used for checking XML as well as JSON endpoints, Runscope is goes beyond the definition of ‘just another API testing tool’, and simultaneously serves as a ‘traffic inspector’ for APIs as well. It monitors API uptimes on a continuous basis, and notifies users as soon as an API stops working. The third-party metrics integrations supported by Runscope bolster the overall API monitoring process further. API providers can use the tool to create and deploy functional tests, along with accessing private APIs (when required). API traffic can be monitored on a real-time basis through this tool, and issues can be promptly logged and debugged.
Parasoft

Parasoft is often the go-to testing tool for APIs without graphical user interfaces (GUIs). A vast range of protocols is supported by the Parasoft interface, making the task of specifying automated test scenarios a lot simpler. Scenarios of varying complexities are automated by this tool – across mainframes, databases and even messaging layers. The tests created with Parasoft are typically reusable and scalable, apart from being easy to maintain. The tool is best for performing regression testing of APIs with state-of-the-art validation methods. A high point of Parasoft is that, it lets users create tests without having to actually code.
TestingWhiz

Yet another code-free API testing tool (it also performs mobile testing, big data testing and database testing). Regression tests for APIs can be easily automated with TestingWhiz, and the tool also offers reliable automated web UI testing services. Practically all the popular browsers are supported (the likes of Firefox, Chrome, IE, Opera, Safari) – enhancing the coverage of tests as well as the convenience of users. More than 290 commands are available for generating modular automation scripts – doing away with the need for coding.
vRest

For automated testing of RESTful APIs as well as HTTP APIs, vRest is a more than handy online tool. Depending on the precise specifications of each API, documentations are generated by the tool – and it also delivers high-speed validation services for REST APIs. The Mock Server Functionality of vRest, which allows smooth creation of API mocks, also deserves a special mention. Data can be imported from the Swagger API framework without any hassles. vRest also comes with JIRA-Jenkins integration.

TestMaker, HP QTP and Chakram (REST APIs) are some other popular API testing tools and frameworks. The importance of quality in an API cannot be overemphasized – and to maintain performance standards and retain users, using these tools for testing is of paramount importance.

Resources: https://smartbear.com/learn/api-testing/practical-tips-for-api-security/

https://smartbear.com/learn/api-testing/what-is-api-testing/

http://www.guru99.com/ , http://www.quora.com

Top 20 Under-30 CEOs Of 2016

If your idea of a successful CEO is a portly figure with receding hairline, wrinkled forehead and a bit of graying around the temples, you won’t be far off. The average age of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies is 58* – and more than 50% of CEOs across the world are at least in their 50s. This, however, does not indicate that success for CEOs comes only with advancing age. Here are 20 young, under-30 CEOs who have made a mark in the field of business in 2016:

Jack Cator (26)

What would you do if your school does not allow you enjoy web videos or play games online? You look for a reliable virtual private network (VPN) service, right? That was precisely the motivation that drove Cator towards building his very own VPN – hilariously named ‘Hide My Ass!’. The service was wholly owned by Privax, of which Cator was the founder CEO. In 2016, Privax was acquired by AVG Technologies for a cool $40 million. Talk about ‘inspired ideas’!
David Karp (28)

Karp created and launched popular microblogging portal Tumblr at the ripe old age of…20. From being just another model for J.Crew, he managed to get on the fast track to professional success – and by the start of this year, his net worth had climbed northwards of $200 million. The Tumblr CEO is certainly an inspiring figure in his own right.
Brian Rudolph (25)

The man loves chickpeas – and it’s this love that led him to starting food startup Banza, together with his brother Scott (right from their own apartment too!). The company, which makes pasta with chickpeas instead of wheat (thereby making one of America’s favourite snacks more nutritious), was founded in 2014 – and it grew by a jaw-dropping 1500% last year. Now that IS some serious success!
Stefanie Botelho (29)

While in fourth grade, Stefanie started making cool finger puppets with glue, glitter and felt. During her stint at Harvard Business School, she went on to create an automated toy-recommendation machine, and is currently the owner of the Fitzroy Toys website. Through Fitzroy Toys (which operates as a B2B portal), retailers can get in touch with independent toymakers, with revenue being generated through transaction fees. For Stefanie, being creative from a young age has proved mighty rewarding!
Evan Spiegel (25)

A college dropout – Spiegel did not let the lack of formal degrees clout his vision in any way. By 23, he had made a name for himself as the enthusiastic CEO of instant messaging tool Snapchat. Spiegel even managed to ward off a $3 million buyout proposal for his company from Facebook – and that speaks highly about two things: a) the man’s confidence, and b) his financial strength.
Tarun Gangwani (27)

An IBM employee since 2013, Tarun’s was the brains behind Bluemix – the $1 billion cloud developer platform of the company. Incidentally, Bluemix is, at present, the biggest Cloud Foundry development service as well. The product development teams of IBM Cloud are headed by Gangwani – a remarkable feat considering his age and the fact that IBM Cloud is valued at a whopping $9 billion. One of the brightest among IBM’s First Wave of Designers, that’s for sure.
Dan Teran (26)

A Johns Hopkins graduate, Teran was a product designer at Prehype, before becoming the founder and CEO of Managed By Q – the office management dashboard service that gave him instant recognition among the business elite. Through 3 rounds of funding, Teran managed to raise a whopping $17.4 million for his company. A large number of offices in Chicago, New York and San Francisco feature among the clientele of Managed By Q.
Maran Nelson (24)

The former neuroscience and psychology student applied his education to good effect, while setting up Clara Labs. The company is all about creating a virtual employee with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. And that’s not all Nelson has to show off in her list of achievements either. Apart from being the CEO of Clara Labs, she is the founder of Interact ATX (launched in 2013) – a service that helps young entrepreneurs connect with prospective investors.
Jessica Hendricks (27)

Business with a humane touch, that’s what Hendricks’ jewelry company – The Brave Collection – excels in. The young CEO oversees necklaces and bracelets created by Cambodian workers – many of whom are either underprivileged and/or physically challenged. The products are sold to boutiques around the world as well as online. What’s more, 10% of the sale proceeds is set aside to counter human trafficking. Hendricks has proven herself to be a true new-age CEO.
Eric Duffy (27)

Being the CEO of online social networking software Pathgater (which facilitates on-the-job training for employees and also has a rewards scheme) is not the only claim to fame for Duffy. Before creating Pathgater, he had successfully built a water-retention design – during his time as a teacher in South Africa and China. The man is in the news in 2016, with Pathgater roping in biggies like Walmart, Twitter and Qualcomm in its clientele.
Nanxi Liu (25)

The young lady has already proved that she enjoys, and is actually a master of, multitasking. She produced a movie (‘A Place Called Hollywood’) in 2015, plays the cello, is a prominent board figure at the Lady Gaga Foundation – and is also the CEO of Enplug, a company that develops custom digital display software. A total investment of $2.5 million and a global user-base of 400+ companies tell their own story about the success of Enplug. Liu is also the head of Nanoly – a polymer that can preserves vaccines without refrigeration.
Carly Strife (29)

The co-founder of Bark & Co. has delivered quite a range of delightful services for all the pet-lovers out there. The very first, and still the primary, product of Strife’s company is BarkBox – which delivers dog toys and pet treats to owners on a monthly basis. Apart from that, Bark & Co. has several other services, like BarkShop (a subscription-free online portal for buying all types of dog accessories), BarkPost (dog news and videos) and BarkLive (official sponsor of many live dog-related events). Bark & Co. has already shipped in excess of 20 million dog products, putting Carly Strife in the top bracket of young entrepreneurs.
Christian Owens (21)

Speaking about young achievers, they don’t come much younger than Owens – who had his own company (Mac Bundle Box) when he was only 14! Cut to two years later, and he had already become a millionaire, and had launched an online pay-per-click ad company called Branchr. Following its success, Owens created Paddle, which makes software development kits (SDKs) for app developers. The key services of the SDK are analytics monitoring, payment processing and generating app feedback. Oh, and the man behind these multiple successes is a school dropout!
Robert Lee (27)

Are you familiar with ‘Little Bobby’ – a technology and security-related comic strip? Even if you aren’t, you should know about its creator, Robert Lee – one of the brightest under-30 CEOs of 2016. An eminent cyberdefense expert and a researcher/teacher at SANS Institute, Lee is the co-founder of Dragos, which monitors networked assets and provides superior industrial control system protection solutions. He is also a PhD candidate at King’s College (London). One of the biggest names in the field of cyber security at present.
Daniel Fine (22)

Fine completed his graduation from Wharton in the summer of 2015. While most young men try to pick their careers at that stage, Fine was already an established entrepreneur. He founded Glass-U – a range of fully foldable sunglasses – in 2012, and it has already been licensed to all the leading universities and sororities in the United States. What’s more, Fine’s Glass-U was an official licensee at 2014’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the Lollapalooza musical event. As a CEO, Fine is indeed doing ‘fine’!
B. Byrne (25)

A major password glitch in LinkedIn got Byrne thinking, when he was a student at Pomona College. The upshot was the creation of Clef – a secure two-factor authentication system – that does away with the traditional system of usernames and passwords. Paxful and Bitfinex are two Bitcoin exchanges out of the 120000-odd companies that have already switched over to Clef authentication. The software is a roaring success, and so is its CEO.
Harli Jordean (13)

All hail the youngest CEO in the world – Harli Jordean, the man (or should we say kid?) behind Land Of Marbles, an online ecommerce portal for buying marbles. The business was launched when Harli was all of 8 years old, and it is a classic example of the fact that exclusivity is the single-most important factor for business success. Marbles are fairly commonplace items – but they were not being offered like the way Land Of Marbles does – and therein lies its secret to popularity. Well played, little Harli!
Ian Crosby (29)

No one likes accounting and bookkeeping, right? In 2010, Crosby took his stand to make things easier for startup owners, with his Bench service – which combines human workforce and powerful software to create financial statements and reports, prepare tax planning solutions and manage expense tracking. Crosby is also a member of TechStars in 2012, and he believes that, in a decade’s time the outlook towards accounting will change among people.
Andrew Flachner (27)

RealScout, the company that Flachner founded in 2012, accounted for as much as 15% of the total volume of real estate transactions in San Francisco, in November 2015. That should give you a fair idea of how rapidly the home search platform service for professional real estate agents has grown within a short span of time. Prior to entering the big league with RealScout, Flachner had cofounded a real estate syndication agency as well as a health food vending machine firm. Plenty of experience for a man who is yet to hit 30!
Noah Kraft (28)

At this year’s Annual Telluride Film Festival, a biographical boxing flick – called ‘Bleed For This’ – had its world premiere. One of the producers of the film is Noah Kraft – better known as the co-founder of Doppler Labs (started in 2013). The mobile app for Doppler looks to change music-listening on wearable devices totally. Kraft believes that curating a user’s audio environment by a small percentage can help him/her enjoy a better listening experience, and avoid hearing problems. The sound-processing earbuds of Doppler Labs have been a huge hit – with more than 20000 units being reported sold at the end of January 2016. Clearly, this music-lover knows his product well.

Alan Schaaf (28) – the founder of mobile-first image-sharing site Imgur, and Scott Clark (29) – the CEO of website/app optimization software company SigOpt are two other names that should feature in any ‘top under-30 CEOs’ list. Pete Cashmore, now at the age of 30, is another young achiever – having founded Mashable at the age of 19. Experience matters when you take the plunge to become a CEO – but these people, with their vision, drive and sheer ambition – have proved that success can come at a young age too.

*source –> http://fortune.com/2016/06/14/here-are-the-5-youngest-ceos-of-the-fortune-500/

15 API Industry Trends To Watch Out For In 2017

From looking up addresses on Google Maps, to pulling up the shopping cart on e-commerce portals – APIs are being used everywhere. According to a recent report, 40+ new APIs are created and added every week – a fair indication of the rate at which the global ‘API economy’ is growing. We will here take a look at some fascinating trends and statistics from the API industry to watch out for in 2017:

A ‘new’ technology

APIs have been around for some time now, but it has been only in the last 2-3 years that software and app developers have started to extensively use them. Nearly 52% of all API providers started their service in the last 5 years, with 20% being launched in the last 2 years. Older API providers (those that were started 6 or more years back) make up around 42% of the total market. It’s an evolving market, and new resources are coming in thick and fast.
Security – the double edged sword

There is a general notion among general API consumers as well as application developers that APIs enhance security threats. 4 out of every 10 users feel that probable security breaches are the topmost risks of using APIs – and they wish to see these issues resolved at the earliest. On the other hand, it is digital security that many developers (24%) feel will drive the global API industry forward in the coming years. Not surprisingly 40.4% of technology providers are already focused on testing API security.
How are API tools chosen?

While selecting an API tool for a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) tool, script and resource reusability is the single biggest point of concern among developers. For almost 56% respondents, reusability is the number one factor while deciding whether to use an API tool or not. Around 36% pinpoint user-friendliness as the biggest ‘must-have’ feature in an API service (33.6% users focus particularly on the ease of implementation). In contrast, only 18% app makers list ‘the learning curve’ of a tool as their biggest concern. Clearly, users are ready to take up the challenge of learning – if an API tool is reusable and is easy to use.
On the mobile platform

The importance of the smartphone platform is growing steadily, and the trend is expected to further pick up pace in 2017. Among all API providers worldwide, a tick under 64% already support the mobile platform. More interestingly, mobile technology is believed to be the key driver of the API economy over the next couple of years (52% API users feel so). Almost 75% providers offer both internal as well as external API solutions.

Note: Internet of Things (IoT) is mentioned by 22% of the survey respondents as the ‘next big thing’ in the API industry. Connectivity, clearly, is a white-hot topic at present in the tech domain.

Why are APIs used?

It’s pretty much established that backend APIs are much in demand now, but what exactly drives this demand? According to survey results, the most important purpose of APIs is better interoperability between teams and tools/systems. Boosting product/service functionality is the second most common reason for using APIs. 42% users apply APIs to shorten the total software or mobile app development cycles, while 38% people rely on APIs to bring down development expenses. API tools are also widely used for social integrations, as direct marketing channels, and for collaborating with external organizations.
Agile vs waterfall

With the advent and burgeoning popularity of APIs, agile development has emerged as the runaway leader, as far as software delivery methods are concerned (almost 76% of organizations prefer this method). In comparison, the traditional ‘Waterfall’ strategy is still followed by a measly 24% companies. In fact, delivery models like Continuous Integration (39%), Continuous Delivery (28%) and even DevOps (25%) have pulled ahead of ‘Waterfall’ in this race.Incremental and lean software delivery models (with 17% and 11% share respectively) rank further down the list.
Supported platforms

While API-usage for making mobile apps is growing at a fast clip, it is not yet the biggest platform served by APIs. That position would go to Web, which is served by as many as 86% of all APIs. Mobile occupies the second spot, and is followed by Desktop – with nearly 41% of the total API-share. As already mentioned, 1 out of every 5 APIs already support the Internet of Things (IoT). Both mobile and IoT are expected to get more API-coverage in 2017 and beyond.

Note: Automation scripts are supported by approximately 39% of APIs.

A ‘successful API’ is one that delivers…

Performance. Irrespective of which industry it is being used, 74% people listed performance as the most important characteristic of an application programming interface. The availability or uptime of APIs – with 50% votes – are a distant second, and is followed by the total count of API calls. APIs that promptly log and resolves issues are marked by 35% consumers as ‘successful’. Monetization, subscriber count, and retention are other, less important, factors.
Focus on quality and issue resolution

When faced with quality issues, 33% of consumers promptly shift to another API provider. To prevent this and bolster user-retention levels, API providers are placing prime importance on quality management issues. On average, organizations use as many as 4 separate tools for API testing. 55.8% of all user-complaints are resolved within a maximum of 7 days, with 10% of quality issues being addressed within 24 hours.

Note: According to mobile app developers, performing the ‘root cause analysis’ is the biggest challenge while trying to resolve API issues.

10. Risks posed by poor API quality

There are several reasons why API providers are so concerned about API performance and quality issues. In a survey conducted among 1300 respondents, 43% stated that sub-standard APIs lead to loss of customers, while 36% expressed their concern about their company’s brand image taking a hit. Missing project deadlines is yet another problem caused by poor APIs (for ecommerce sites, this is equivalent to missing SLAs). For APIs whose performance is not up to the mark, more testing/troubleshooting is required – and according to 34.5% of the respondents, this was the biggest problem. 18% felt that sticking with a buggy API can lead to loss of contracts and even legal compliance hassles.

11. Industries using APIs –

The use of APIs is no longer restricted to only the technology domain, although tech (with 11% share) remains the biggest API-using sector. Banking, with 9% share, is next – followed by Engineering and Healthcare (both have 8% share in the total API-pie). Telecommunications, education, retail, consultancy and insurance are some of the other fields where the use of APIs is relatively high. Many of these industries are not traditionally ‘tech-oriented’ – but APIs are being adopted in them nonetheless.

Note: The private sector has, from the start, been by far the bigger user of API tools and BaaS solutions. The public sector is playing the catch-up game, and reported a 4% API-use in 2016. It is expected that this figure would go up over the next few quarters.

12. Main challenges for API providers

The demand for higher delivery speeds is rising among customers – and that poses the number one challenge for API providers (testers, developers and operations). Managing the widely swinging expectations of stakeholders is another big challenge, as is the loopholes in the integration between tools and systems. The sheer complexity of API tools, together with the lack of internal knowledge, constitute another major roadblock. Budget issues and non-availability of required technology can also pose problems for API providers.

13. Tools used for API testing

71% of all organizations perform ‘functional testing’ – making it by far the most common API testing method. Load testing or Performance testing is done by more than 60% companies, more than 55% users do Unit testing at the code level. Nearly 5 out of 10 respondents reported that they perform monitoring tests as well. Security testing and standard API Management solutions are also used for testing APIs fairly commonly.

Note: Service virtualization tools are applied by 24% organizations for API testing.

14. Formal documentation is important

A detailed, formal API documentation process is essential and high-priority, feels 46% of developers who create custom software and apps. A further 29% also identify the importance of documentation, but does not accord the same level of priority to the task. Only 10% users opine that a formal documentation procedure is not required. Proper documentation makes the overall API projects a lot more systematic – and that’s precisely why organizations are increasingly leaning towards it.

15. Finding the problem. Fixing the problem.

Apart from identifying the root cause of API bugs, providers face several other common problems while trying to fix issues. 1 out of every 4 API providers struggle to employ the correct personnel (individual or team) to fix the reported issues, while designing an effective fix is a challenge for 24% respondents. Many providers face difficulties while isolating the problematic API as well. Fixing problems, obviously, require both time and resources – and constraints can crop up on those fronts too.

Whatever way you look at it, there is no denying that the API industry is on an upward surge globally. While the volume of APIs accessible on ProgrammableWeb has spiralled, due emphasis is being put on the quality factor as well. All eyes are now on 2017, which should witness further growth and proliferation of the API technology across sectors.

Source: http://blog.smartbear.com/api-testing/api-trends-2016/

Swagger API Framework – 12 Things You Need To Know

Since its release in 2011, the Swagger API framework has rapidly grown in popularity among mobile app developers. The framework supports practically all popular programming languages as well as deployment environments, enhancing its usability. According to users, Swagger represents an improvement over both the manual API data maintenance method, as well as Web Application Description Languages (WADL). In September 2014, Swagger 2.0 was launched – and at present, it is easily the largest available repository for APIs in the world. Let us here take a look at some interesting things to know about the Swagger API framework:

What exactly is Swagger?

Swagger is a huge collection of tools (integrated as an ecosystem), which is arranged around a formal specification. The specification represents a standard of REST (representational state transfer) APIs. The tools, on the other hand, include coding libraries (low level), commercial API management frameworks, and user interface solutions. In a nutshell, Swagger provides a language-independent interface for REST APIs, which is both human-readable and machine-readable.
Why is Swagger preferred by developers?

Most apps have to be connected to a web-supported cloud backend, and for that, developers need to use APIs extensively. Swagger offers a convenient way for coders to document these APIs. It is easily a better option than having to manually maintain API information on either a HTML page or a text document (which won’t be machine-readable either). Web Application Description Languages (WADL), on the other hand, lose out on the human-readability front. Swagger can be understood by human users as well as machines – and not surprisingly, software and app developers from across the world use it for API data maintenance.
Is Swagger open-source?

Swagger has been a completely open-source API framework from the very outset. It serves as a detailed representation of RESTful APIs (although all the RESTful rules are not followed), is easily discoverable, and also generates client-side SDKs. The highly interactive documentation also makes Swagger all the more developer-friendly.
How can you start using Swagger?

There are two alternative approaches for that. App developers can either go for the so-called ‘bottom-up’ approach, where Swagger definitions have to be created – either manually or with the help of node.js or JAX-RS, or any of the other frameworks that are supported. The ‘top down’ approach involves creation of the same Swagger definition with the help of the Swagger Editor. For server-side implementation, the resources within Swagger Codegen have to be used. Both methods are fairly simple – and the final choice depends on what any particular app maker is comfortable with.
How to migrate from Swagger 1.x to Swagger 2.0?

Swagger 2.0 has a lot of handy new features for developers (more on that later). All that coders, who are already using Swagger 1.2 (or any of the other older versions), need to do is use the Swagger Converter to migrate to the latest version of the framework. While converting code specs, either the ‘swagger-spec-converter’ or the ‘swagger-tools’ command line tool has to be used. Keep in mind that, unlike Swagger 1.x (which has two separate files), Swagger 2.0 has a single file.
How is build and deployment managed in Swagger?

Swagger 1.5 introduced the io.swagger package. All the artifacts used in Swagger can be found in Maven Central – and for build and deployment, the API framework uses Apache Maven. Systems like Gradle and Ivy (apart from, of course, Maven) can handle the Maven dependencies inside the Swagger tool. In Swagger-Core, ‘io.swagger’ remains the groupID name, for all the dependencies.

Note: In JAX-RS, three artifacts are used by Swagger. These are ‘swagger-jersey-jaxrs’, ‘swagger-jaxrs’ and ‘swagger-jersey2-jaxrs’ (on version 2.0).

What is the Swagger Editor?

Those who make mobile apps and use Swagger can edit/review API specifications within the browser itself, in the Swagger Editor. In addition, the Editor also allows users to view documentations on a real-time basis. Code generations and other commonly used Swagger toolings can be used with the Swagger JSON descriptions. Swagger Editor supports the YAML data serialization language (please note that it is not a markup language).
What’s there for API Consumers?

The ‘top down’ and ‘bottom up’ approaches for getting started on Swagger were for API Providers. Let’s turn our attentions towards the other set of users – the API Consumers. For them, the API framework has the online Swagger UI – that uses Swagger Codegen to create selected client libraries. APIs can be explored with Swagger UI as well. Integrating with APIs that have Swagger definitions is a common requirement, and this functionality is of help regarding that.
What are the steps to integrate Swagger documentation in your app?

For seamless integration of Swagger documents in an application, developers have to follow three steps. First, all the Swagger dependencies have to be added in the project. Manual addition of dependencies is necessary for projects that do not support Maven dependencies. Next, Swagger has to be linked up with the actual application configuration (JAX-RS). Once that is done, both /swagger.yaml and /swagger.json will become accessible. Finally, the Swagger framework has to be configured and initialized.

Note: Implementation can be for RESTEasy 2.x, Jersey 1.x and 2.x, or Mule projects.

10. What’s new in Swagger 2.0?

Path-level parameter declaration, vendor extensions (with metadata) and smarter operations grouping feature among the most important additions in Swagger 2.0. Software and app developers have the option of adding License Object and/or Contact Object to the Info object, as well as describe Headers within responses. The second iteration of Swagger also supports API First development methodology, driven by node.js REST API environments (this feature has been added by Apigee). The format has been made compatible with JSON and YAML, for greater user-convenience. Well over 30 tools support the Swagger 2.0 framework – Swagger Parser, Swagger-JS, Swagger Validator, Swagger-UI, Swagger Codegen and Swagger-Core being some of them.

Note: Swagger is now more commonly referred to as the Open API Specification. It was given to the Open API Initiative (OAI) in January 2016.

11. Why should developers use Swagger?

We have already mentioned that Swagger is the largest API network at present. It does away with the need for accessing source codes, network traffic monitoring and other documentations, when developers are trying to find and understand the REST API interface service. Uncertainties and risks of errors become minimal when Swagger is correctly implemented in a project – since the need for implementation logic is almost nil, while interacting with remote service. Both commercial vendors and open-source projects are served by Swagger.

12. What is the Restlet Studio for API definitions all about?

Restlet, another founding member of OAI, offers Restlet Studio – a user-friendly visual editor that makes the task of authoring API contracts easier than ever before. It stores all the Swagger API definitions, generates the required skeleton code, and comes with a built-in API definition translator (for different API formats). With the visual editing feature, app developers need not learn everything about all the Swagger syntax either – a tour of the UI serves the purpose.

The open-source Swagger specification is present under ASL 2.0, and it is a definitive guide on how responses, paths, parameters, and all other things should be correctly defined. Some of the biggest names in the tech domain – from PayPal and Microsoft, to Intuit and Apigee – use the Swagger service for their RESTful APIs. With plenty of supported tools and loads of useful resources, Swagger is absolutely a must-have API framework for mobile developers.

10 Reasons To Use Apigee And Usergrid For Your Next Mobile Apps

The importance of backend services for mobile applications (already discussed in an earlier post) can hardly be overemphasized. The trick lies in finding a backend API tool that is robust enough to allow smooth data management as well as user-handling on one hand, as well as keep a tab on the overall resources required for building an app. Apache Usergrid (which became a part of the Apigee backend-as-a-service (BaaS) tool in 2012), is really helpful for app developers in this regard. In what follows, we will explain why you need to use the open-source Apache Usergrid mBaaS and Apigee Edge in your forthcoming mobile applications:

Support for agile app development

Usergrid offers end-end mBaaS services. It integrates application layer, updated SDKs (included in the client tier) and a powerful NoSQL database. These help developers create applications quickly, systematically, and with significantly lesser hassles. The presence of a wide range of common services and retrieval tools – data and file storage, user registration, geolocation & text-based search, for instance – is also a high point of Usergrid.
Platform flexibility

The Apigee Edge BaaS comes with a highly flexible and customizable platform. App development experts can easily store all types of application data on the Apigee platform – ranging from user associations to customized item catalogs. Since all the data gets stored in the form of entities, it becomes simple for coders to perform complex queries and searches (on any field), as and when required. The data storage method in Apigee is contextual, which keeps things understandable for developers.
JSON objects and asset management

The API BaaS project of Apigee has Usergrid as its foundation, and for good reason. The latter can expertly store and index JSON objects. Runtime queries of JSON objects are supported as well. While creating mobile apps and games, developers need to manage assets in an efficient manner, and Usergrid comes up trumps in this regard as well. Among the additional features that this resource offers, the push notifications system and the secure user authentication feature are worth a particular mention.
Moving beyond Swagger

Apigee brings to the table truly cutting-edge API designing technology. It supports Open API Specification – which was previously known as Swagger (API framework) – and opens up the opportunity for app makers to create uniformly high-quality APIs. All APIs designed with Apigee are of production standard, and the entire task is performed by user-friendly, open-source components. After the API design, developers can smoothly implement Node.js in JavaScript. There are minimal chances of errors cropping up.
Usergrid 2 is here

Apigee and Usergrid were always handy backend API technology tools for mobile app developers. However, coders did face certain glitches while working with Usergrid 1 (based on Cassandra) – like a sub-par performance of the index and query engine, and maintenance issues. These problems have been swept under the cover by Usergrid 2. Powered by ElasticSearch, the new iteration boasts of an excellent array of features, including an all-new built-in engine for query, index and persistence. Scalability has also been made easier than before, thanks to the separation of query/index from key-value persistence. Even if you had some qualms about Usergrid earlier in your apps, there is no reason to not use it now.
High-end security

To be classified as a ‘good mobile backend API service provider’, a tool needs to have state-of-the-art security features. Apigee Edge delivers on this count, and then some more. Developers can take advantage of login and token authentication systems that are compliant with the OAuth 2.0 standard. To monitor access control and manage the overall data security, users have the option to define custom permissions. Custom events can be tracked, recorded and analyzed too.
Excellent app testing framework

With Usergrid, mobile app testing becomes just that much more foolproof. The software stack has a built-in Gatling load-testing framework – which was created by using a series of repeatable test cases. The framework ensures high performance levels and thorough validation (of the metrics) of each project. The Gatling scenarios are also open-source, just like Usergrid itself.
Auto-scaling to handle variations in API demand

According to professionals from the fields of software programming and mobile app development, fluctuations in the demand for APIs (from customers) tend to smooth out over time. However, two types of variations – the weakly or seasonal surges, and the sudden peaks that can last for a few hours to a couple of days (flash sales at e-commerce sites, anyone?) – have to be considered carefully. Apigee brings a custom auto-scaling feature, which can handle such peaks and surges. That, in turn, serves two purposes: i) it enhances the overall user-experience, and ii) it cuts down on unnecessary money/resource wastage. Changes in API demand does not affect the amount an Apigee customer has to make, but they have to be smartly managed nevertheless.
Push notifications for greater user-engagement

Yet another cool, developer-friendly feature of the Apigee API platform is the RESTful (Representational State Transfer) framework for generating push notifications. Those who make apps get full control over the audience to which notifications are to be sent, as well as the timings for sending notifications. The app footprint remains low, and all devices that are connected to the BaaS can receive the notifications. Apart from individual users, these push messages can be sent to devices as well as specific groups as well. User-engagement, understandably, gets a big boost.

Note: Apigee allows app developers to send as many as 10 million free push notifications every month.

10. Comprehensive monitoring of apps

The initial builds of apps are likely to have errors, even if the best developers in the world are working on it. The key lies in quick detection and resolution of such issues in subsequent builds – leading up to a completely bug-free final release. Apigee delivers top-class performance here as well, with its custom logging, usage-tracking, and monitoring of crashes. Richly detailed, high-quality visualizations are used to analyze the crashes and errors.

Apigee offers 10GB of free data storage space to app developers, enabling them to store JSON objects in the data store (NoSQL) without any hassles. The fact that Usergrid is a distributed BaaS that is operationally extendable makes it all the more useful for app makers. It’s high time you started using Apigee and Usergrid in your new mobile applications – they offer the smartest way to connect your app to the backend cloud.

Chief source: http://docs.apigee.com/api-baas

Top 10 Backend API Technologies (BaaS) To Use For App Development

The traditional ‘mobile-first’ approach for creating applications is pretty much outdated right now. The responsibilities of app developers go beyond simply making a website, and then following it up with custom software for the iOS or the Android (as the case might be) platform. Most apps have to be connected to a secure cloud service or backend (on the server side), which is generally connected to the web. This is where the importance of backend-as-a-service (BaaS) or mobile backend-as-a-service (mBaaS) comes into the picture. In today’s discussion, we will briefly feature the top 10 backend API technologies that you can use for your next mobile app:

Backendless

On of the biggest advantages of this BaaS tool is that it completely does away with the need for server-side coding. Things become a lot easier for mobile app developers, as a result. As many as 6 core backend services are embedded in Backendless, which serves as a runtime platform as well. The REST APIs make development and deployment quicker, along with the built-in software development kits (SDKs). Apart from being a handy mBaaS service, Backendless works as an API engine, a hosting tool and an app marketplace.

Appcelerator

For cross-platform app development, Appcelerator is a highly popular backend API technology resource. It offers third-party developers the option to build and host their applications on private, public or virtual private servers. An additional advantage of Accelerator is the in-depth insights that it offers to users, via its high-end analytics engine. With this BaaS, developers can easily keep track of app downloads, retention and engagement levels.

Kinvey

Initially focused mainly for mobile app companies and agencies, the Kinvey BaaS tool is increasingly being used by indie developers across the world. Arguably the most user-friendly backend service for making apps on this list, Kinvey comes with an excellent range of features – right from app analytics and file store, to push notifications system, custom code compatibility and a data store. Coders do not have to worry about connecting their applications to the cloud either – this tool sets that up automatically. Kinvey allows users to follow the agile app development model, and is available for 4 different pricing options (Individual (Free), Startup, Business and Enterprise).

Firebase

A relatively new entrant in the mBaaS market (launched in 2012), Firebase has witnessed a rapid expansion in its user base over the last couple of years. The prime reason for this, according to experts from the domain of mobile app development, is the real-time data synchronization feature that it offers. This feature ensures that there is zero latency in the tool – something that cannot be claimed about many of the other BaaS service providers listed here. Robust security is yet another high point of Firebase, with built-in support for third-party authorization tokens (given by developers). Developers can also use HTTP REST API, or access third-party libraries on Firebase.

Kumulos

Built on the ‘pay-as-you-go’ model, the Kumulos platform lets iOS and Android developers integrate features in their applications with absolute ease. It helps to shorten the overall app development cycle – consequently cutting down on unnecessary expenses. Kumulos is mostly used by app agencies, which get the opportunity to create applications on a budget, and earn big when the apps go live at the stores. In addition to iOS and Android, this backend API tool supports many other platforms, like OS X, Windows Phone, Lua Corona and PHP.

Sencha/Sencha Space

If you are more into making HTML5 applications, Sencha Space might just be the ideal mBaaS solution for you. It can be used for developing apps for both smartphones as well as desktop, and comes with a powerful and completely secure runtime environment. The data security feature of Sencha Space is, in fact, one of its best features, along with the smooth user access and controls. There are two versions of this BaaS tool – the Workforce version and the (more pricey) Enterprise version.

Amazon AWS

Seamless scalability and easy deployability have got to be the two biggest pros of the Amazon AWS backend tool. It offers a plethora of services for mobile developers, including data storage, user analytics, authentication, content delivery, and obviously, robust backend logic. The BaaS resource ranks high on flexibility, and requires users to pay on the basis of the services they use (for instance, Amazon CloudFront or Amazon Cognito or Amazon Dynamo DB, or any of the others). Amazon AWS allows developers to save money during app delivery.

Kii

With a strong vendor support and an abundance of SDKs, Kii is one of the best backend connectivity resource for any new application. What’s more, the tool has a clear focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) – something that is expected to grow bigger in the next few quarters or so. From within the same cloud platform, coders can test and optimize their applications, as well as handle scaling requirements. Kii also supports push notifications and in-built geo-location features.

Appery.io

Widely used to create both iOS and Android applications, Appery.io has its very own ‘App Builder’ – which sets it somewhat apart from the other popular mBaaS service providers. Appery comes with an impressive collection of custom API plug-ins. Since the tool is completely cloud-based, developers need not be concerned about platform maintenance. The browser-supported rapid development model of Appery.io is complemented by enterprise-standard middleware, and top-notch visual development support. Appery.io is available in 5 alternative versions – Basic, Standard, Pro, Team and Enterprise.

AnyPresence

Among the first to offer comprehensive mBaaS solutions, AnyPresence gives total control over source code to mobile app developers. This is ensured by the non-proprietary technology stack of the tool, which also allows for easy portability of app projects. Coders can customize their code as much as required, while working with AnyPresence. The strong system architecture of the tool is one of the key reasons for its success.

Parse, which was acquired by Facebook in 2013, will be discontinued from January 2017. It was a hugely popular BaaS tool – and there have been angry reactions (including a protest petition) over the news of it shutting down. Other mBaaS service providers that have been stopped include StackMob and OpenKit.io (a powerful tool for game developers).

By using backend API technology, developers can unify the entire app development process – bringing together the repetitive tasks for different operating systems and devices. With apps becoming more and more complicated over time (thanks to the constant evolution of technology), mBaaS is growing in importance – since it allows developers to deliver more within a shorter period. Having secure server-side cloud support is an absolute must for many new apps, and any of the tools mentioned here (depending on the specific requirements) can be used for the purpose.

Sources:

http://nordicapis.com/why-you-should-build-apps-with-an-api-backend-baas/

http://www.androidbegin.com/blog/list-best-android-backend-service-baas-provider/

http://waracle.net/how-to-choose-the-right-backend-as-a-service-baas-platform/

Why Should Every Business Need An API And An App?

On average, 6 out of every 10 listings on eBay are done via their APIs. On microblogging site Twitter, close to 15 billion APIs are called everyday. We are well and truly in the midst of a booming ‘API economy’ – with more than 15000 APIs being accessible on ProgrammableWeb (by May 2016). These APIs, or application programming interfaces, are, in essence, methods or tools with which coders can interact with their software applications. These have to be called whenever data has to be accessed from any application. In what follows, we will discuss the importance of APIs and mobile applications for businesses:

Consistency across versions

Mobile apps for business need to be customized for multiple versions – iOS and Android primarily, and maybe even for smartwatches and smart TVs). APIs help in bringing uniformity to the manner in which data is sent to and received from different versions of such applications. This, in turn, gives a consistent experience for end users. The ‘data loop’ of business apps are provided with an extra layer of security as well. As a result, app maintenance becomes a lot easier too.

Greater visibility to prospective clients

According to a recent Flurry report, app-interactions make up 86% of the total ‘mobile time’ of smartphone users in the United States. In comparison, usage of the mobile browser constitutes a measly 14% of the time. Across the globe, nearly 3 and a half hours are spent by people every day on accessing mobile applications. Having a strong presence in the mobile app stores, hence, can be the ticket for any business for becoming more visible to customers. A lot of client-interactions with businesses happen on the go, and creating a fast, user-friendly, updated mobile application is an absolute must for that.

Importance of APIs for making apps

Open APIs are often used by both Android and iPhone app developers, while creating custom business software and applications. Data is pulled from these open APIs, in a manner that makes both the app (in particular) and the business workflow (in general) more neat and streamlined. While working on a business app, APIs are extremely important for developers.

Getting more from competitors and customers

APIs can, when properly used, help a business generate more value from both its rivals as well as its customers. For instance, if APIs are not extensively used by firms in any particular domain, a particular company can grab first-mover’s advantage by applying resources and data-driven services on the products/services of competitors. This can, in turn, even convert these competitors into collaborators. Also, APIs open up the opportunity for customers to create certain new custom tools and solutions. With increased reach, these solutions help businesses generate more value without having to shore up investment levels.

Facilitating prompt, specific actions

The main reason why every business needs an API is that the latter helps customers receive information on a real-time basis (through mobile apps) and take quick, specific, focused actions on its basis. Put in another way, APIs make it easier than ever for the entire audience of a business (or a cross-section of it) to interact with information in a more prompt and efficient manner. API-driven development is already fairly popular in the private sector, while the public sector is gradually moving towards it too.

Business automation

Using APIs help businesses cut down on total man-hours spent on any particular task. This becomes possible thanks to the seamless business automation solutions that application programming interfaces provide. Right from sending email messages to a customer as soon as (s)he makes a purchase from your store, to sending social media messages and adding calendar events – practically all routine tasks can be automated with APIs. This frees up a large volume of man-hours, which can be put to other productive uses.

Establishing a personal connection

This is one of the main things that make mobile business apps stand out from other conventional advertising channels. Be it hoardings or billboards or newspaper ads or even banner ads on websites – all of these forms of communication are ‘one-to-many’ – i.e., they are posted by one source, are impersonal, and are meant to grab as many eyeballs as possible. In contrast, advertising and other marketing activities through mobile applications is a lot more personal (i.e., ‘one-to-one’). They give a face to a company, establish a brand personality, and go a long way in building customer loyalty. After all, there is certainly a ‘wow’ factor when a company wishes you on a special occasion personally, through its iOS/Android app!

Fostering innovative practices

Modern-day businesses need to be dynamic in their approach, to constantly evolve and innovate. Jeff Bezos, the Amazon CEO, had identified the importance of APIs and is regarded as a pioneer in this regard – for it was he who had decreed that all software interactions in his company would take place through APIs from 2004 – a move that had held Amazon Inc. in good stead in the long-run. Companies, irrespective of their field of operations, have to come up with new, client-focused innovations and tools regularly, and APIs are of great help for that.

Importance in e-commerce portals

On online shopping portals like eBay, it is well nigh impossible to manually implement all the functionality on the numerous product pages (the time and resources required for doing so would be prohibitively high). Instead, the common practice is to customize ‘best-of-breed’ software, and implement them in online shopping sites. From prices and SKU inventory, to images and social integration – the API system handles all the information to be displayed. The catalog management system, the social integration tabs, the recommendations engine, and even the actual e-commerce platform (the ‘Add to Cart’ call-to-action) can all be smoothly integrated by API calls.

Direct, dynamic marketing tools

Open APIs are used for making business applications, and the latter serve as extremely effective direct marketing tools, confirm mobile app entrepreneurs from across the world. All types of relevant purchase information (price, models, shipping information, etc.) can be accessed directly from the app. Businesses can send along information on special deals, offers and loyalty programs directly through the app. Researches have shown that customer-engagement levels jump by about 20% when a business has its very own mobile app.

APIs as final products

Obviously not for every company out there – but for select large businesses, the APIs themselves can be their final products or core offerings. The buyers would be third-party mobile application developers. In this way, APIs can generate their own revenue generation systems, as well as establish a core infrastructure in companies. Over time, such ‘pure play’ API companies can develop a strong business ecosystem.

Note: Sendgrid and Twilio are two examples of such ‘pure play’ API companies.

Creating service integrations and custom automated reports

With APIs, business can generate custom reports

APIs let businesses use cloud services in a smarter way than ever before. Multiple services (for instance, Google Analytics, Google AdWords and Google Webmaster Tools) can be integrated by professionals by calling suitable APIs. What’s more, custom dashboards can also be created, so that companies can view and use only the most relevant data – all neatly organized at one place. Information from the integrated services can be used to create custom automated reports as well.

It has been projected that, over 50% of all B2B interactions will take place via web APIs, by the end of 2017. From the list of Fortune 1000 companies, 3 out of every 4 are expected to to provide public web APIs. There are a couple of concerns associated with API usage to be pondered over – namely, the increased operating expenses and the probable security threats. However, there is no way of arguing that the advantages of APIs and mobile apps for business are considerable…and they can indeed take professional organizations to the next level.

Objective C vs Swift: Which Is The Better Language For iOS Developers?

In a Stack Overflow 2016 survey, Apple’s Swift programming language came in second in the list of ‘most loved programming languages’ (behind Rust). Objective-C – for so long the go-to language for iOS app developers – was nowhere on the list, and in fact, it was mentioned among the ‘most dreaded languages’ this year. The balance of power from Objective-C to Swift is further made evident by results from the TIOBE Index. Swift had lied below Objective-C (15th and 14th places respectively) in November 2015, but had overtaken Obj-C by the first quarter of 2016. According to predictions by mobile app entrepreneurs, Swift should rank among the top coding languages by the end of the year, while Objective-C might just drop out of the top-20 list. Over here, we have done a comprehensive Objective C vs Swift comparison, and tried to find the reasons for the burgeoning popularity of the latter:

Volume of coding required – Swift wins hands down on this count. Not only is the amount of coding required less in Swift, but the entire code is a lot simpler as well. Instead of using multiple strings for passing repetitive information (as needed in Objective-C), app developers can easily use the ‘+’ string operator for combining both strings and characters. Since string interpolation is supported in Swift, coders do not have to memorize the used string tokens either. In Obj.-C, any mistake with a string token can cause an app to crash. The inline support for data manipulation is also an advantage of Swift.
Dynamic vs Static libraries – Prior to the arrival of Swift and iOS 8, Apple had never provided support for dynamic libraries on the iOS platform. Objective-C developers had to work with static libraries, which were updated only at the time of platform update releases. Swift has changed the game here, and those who make apps can now use blocks of dynamic code in their applications. That way, apps created with a certain version of Swift can be linked with future updates of the language. Obj-C lacks this dynamism.
Syntax simplicity and stability – Let’s admit something at the very outset – Objective-C is not a particularly easy language to learn for newbies. The syntax is elaborate, and the same thing can be written in Swift in a shorter, crisper way. However, it also has to be kept in mind that Obj-C, by virtue of being an established language, has a stable syntax, while that of Swift is still evolving. There have also been reports about the frequent crashes of the Swift 2.1 compiler. Swift 3.0 Preview 2 is already out, and the upgrade should sort out the syntax stability issue.

Note: C and Objective-C codes can be seamlessly used in the Swift environment. The reverse, however, is not possible. This an important point in favour of the ‘older’ language.

Level of interactivity – The arrival of Swift Playgrounds is one of the biggest reasons behind its rapidly rising popularity among iPhone app developers worldwide. With Playgrounds, coders can test their programs dynamically and on-the-go, instead of having to compile the entire app code (which can often be messy). Swift allows developers to interact with their codes in a much more effective manner than Objective-C ever did. For custom views of codes as well, the Swift Playgrounds are really useful.
Swift is ‘swifter’ – Experts from the domain of mobile app development confirm that Swift is comparable to C++ for Mandelbrot as well as FFT algorithms. The code performance of Swift witnessed a big jump since the release of Swift 1.2 and Xcode 6.3. The main reason for the better speeds of Swift is the absence of the general legacy C conventions (which bog down the Obj-C language somewhat). Apple has clearly made an effort to improve app logic with Swift, and the results are for all to see. The API legacy in Objective-C makes it a significantly slower language.
Platform portability – Swift is a much more useful coding language for cross-platform app developers than Objective-C. It went open source in December 2015, and has since started to be used on the Linux platform. Reports of Swift is becoming available to Android app developers are also doing the rounds (a ‘Port to Android’ option is already present in the Swift repository master branch). Although the prime focus of Swift is, obviously, iOS, watchOS, tvOS and mac OS X, it is not an Apple-only locked language like Objective-C.
Readability – We have already mentioned that coding syntax in Swift is a lot less complex that what it is in Objective-C. Let’s examine this in a little more detail here. For starters, iOS developers do not have to use brackets/parenthesis within if-else statements, or be wary of missing semicolons at the end of each line. The comma-separated parameters used to call methods and functions in Swift is also more convenient than maze of brackets that developers have to deal with while calling methods in Obj-C. In Swift, new keywords do not have to be declared with a preceding ‘@’ either. In all, a Swift program is more easily understandable for non-Apple programmers (Java coders, for instance) than Objective C.
Size of app – This is a point where Objective-C has the edge, at least for the time being. iOS applications created with Swift 1.x or 2.x need to have the runtime libraries included in their underlying codes. This, in turn, makes the average Swift app about 15-20 MB larger than a similar Objective C application. However, it is expected that APIs will be stabilized in Swift 3.0, the dependence on runtime libraries will be reduced, and applications created with Swift will no longer be larger than their Obj-C counterparts.
That thing about pointers – Pointer handling can be a potentially troublesome task for app makers working with Objective-C, even if it does not seem apparent at first. A ‘no-op’, which is generated when a method with a nil pointer value is called, can throw up a large number of bugs. Identifying and resolving them during the final mobile app testing phase can be a frustrating experience and a waste of time. Swift, on the other hand, uses ‘Optional’ types, which generates compiler error as and when any bug is detected in the nil optional values. These runtime crashes in Swift makes the overall code behaviour much more predictable – a big improvement over the uncertain pointer logic of Objective C.
Support from IBM. Support from Apple – Craig Federighi has already hailed Swift as the ‘next major programming language’. While there is no chance of Obj-C being phased out anytime soon, mobile app developers would agree that all the new updates in its frameworks are being made for a single main purpose – to make importing to Swift easier. In collaboration with Apple, IBM has come forward to create Swift sandboxes, conduct app experiments, and develop/deploy via IBM Cloud. All eyes are on the development of the Swift language, and Objective-C is receding to a supporting role in the background.
Code maintenance – Swift allows Apple app developers to move away from the cumbersome two-file requirement of Objective-C (yet another problem cropping up from C legacy). The implementation files (.m) and the header files (.h) of Obj-C are included in a single (.swift) file in the newer language. The incremental builds in Swift, allowed by the smart LLVM compiler, can automatically detect dependencies, doing away with the need for performing repetitive tasks and maintaining two code files for each class. In a long app code, this is indeed a big factor.
More unified language – That would be, once again, Swift. While both Obj-C and Swift supports Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) for memory management – the support is a lot more holistic for the latter language. For example, while working with any low-level API, or even Core Graphics, iOS developers have to manually manage the memory. This can lead to significant memory leaks (with ARC in Obj.-C being limited to only Cocoa APIs). Swift implements ARC support for both procedural and object-oriented coding, while Objective-C only supports the latter.

Note: Neither Objective-C nor Swift uses any Garbage Collector (like in Java) for cleaning unused memory.

13. Developing for the newer platforms – Let’s round off our Objective C vs Swift debate with a question: which one to use for making iOS applications? Well, for apps that are meant to be compatible with iOS 7 and later versions only, Swift should be the go-to language. As already mentioned, recent updates to Objective-C have mostly been for making it more compatible with Swift. The best reference materials are all available for versions earlier than iOS 7 – and there is a definite chance that such tutorials are no longer completely usable for apps made exclusively for iOS 8, iOS 9 platforms. Yes, Objective-C still has to be learnt by developers – but looking forward, Swift will be the more used language by far.

Swift is easily a less error-prone language for iPhone app makers than Objective-C. The need for manual code synchronization is minimal, lesser lines of code have to be written, and code maintenance is much easier too. Objective-C still has to be learnt by new developers (preferably, before learning Swift) – but Swift has indeed emerged as the more convenient language between the two.

Top 12 Acquisitions By Apple

The news of Apple acquiring Gliimpse – a health startup founded by two Indian entrepreneurs – is making all the headlines at present. The move is a direct riposte to the recent acquisition of Genee by Microsoft Corporation. With Gliimpse, Apple seems all set to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for compiling and sharing important medical and health information in a better, more efficient way. Over the years, Apple has made many other such interesting acquisitions, and in today’s discussion, we highlight some of them:

NeXT (1997) – A landmark acquisition in the history of Apple Inc – one that marked the return of Steve Jobs to the company, and triggered the recovery of the latter. Founded in 1985 by Jobs himself, NeXT was into making making computers. It launched the NeXTSTEP operating system (object-oriented) – which later went on to become the foundation for the World Wide Web, as well as the OS X and iOS platforms. Apple shelled out a cool $429 million to acquire NeXT and get Jobs back as the CEO of what was then a struggling company.
PowerSchool (2001) – This web-based education technology platform was bought by Apple on the final day of 2001, for more than $63 million in Apple Stock. PowerSchool served as a powerful internet-powered data management tool for teachers and students. It was sold off to Pearson in 2006, and last year, it was acquired by BlackBoard. By 2015 estimates, PowerSchool is used in 75+ countries across the globe, and generates close to $100 million revenue.
Burstly (2014) – Burstly were the makers of the popular app testing tool TestFlight, and it was snapped up by the Cupertino tech giant in February 2001. The service allows iOS app developers to test their applications at early stages, before making submissions to the Apple App Store. Not surprisingly, TestFlight’s support for Android was discontinued soon after the takeover. The FlightPath analytics platform was also discontinued. To date, TestFlight remains the go-to app testing tool for iPhone developers worldwide.
Siri (2010) – If the Siri mobile digital assistant had not been acquired by Apple in the spring of 2010, we would probably seen it arrive on Android and Blackberry phones as well. As things turned out though, the acquisition did take place, for a sum upwards of $200 million. Siri debuted on 2011’s iPhone 4S, and has been a key part of the iOS platform ever since. It is also present on watchOS and tvOS. This fall, Siri will be arriving on the latest iteration of the OS X platform – macOS Sierra. The intelligent personal mobile assistant has limited support for smart cars via CarPlay too.
Spotsetter (2014) – Johnny Lee and Stephen Tse (a former Google maps designer) co-founded Spotsetter, a social map application that provides intelligent recommendations on nearby places – based on reviews and feedback given by friends. The function of Spotsetter is somewhat similar to that of Foursquare, but Apple still went ahead with the acquisition. Information is taken from personal Twitter, Instagram and Facebook profiles, to generate place recommendations. This acquisition led to rumours among many software and mobile app developers that Apple Maps (not a particularly accurate service) was due for a redesign.
Anobit (2012) – With an eye to upgrade the NAND flash memory chips, Apple acquired Anobit Technologies (an Israeli startup tech company) in 2012, for an approximate sum of $390-$400 million. Since the chips are used in iPhones, iPods as well as iPads, and Apple has been struggling in the flash memory game for some time – the acquisition of Anobit made complete sense. When the company did buy Anobit, it received another big advantage – with 160+ Anobit engineers joining the team of developers at Apple.
Beats Music (2014) – When Apple forked out $3 billion to purchase Beats Music, software analysts and experts from the field of iOS app development expected the company to emerge as a serious challenger to Spotify – the worldwide leader in the music-streaming market. Apple Music was launched soon after the Beats acquisition – and that, interestingly, limited the user-base of Beats Music. In November 2015, Apple finally shut down Beats Music, primarily due to the negligible growth in the user base. The deal that made Dr.Dre the most recognizable name in hip-hop music did not quite have the expected after-effects.
Nothing Real (2002) – $15 million was the value of the acquisition deal of Apple for Nothing Real – a top post-production and visual effects software development company. The takeover also included Nothing Real’s well-reviewed proprietary software, Shake. While Apple did use Shake for the OS X platform following the acquisition, it steadily decreased the price of the software over the years. Shake 4.1 (2006), in fact, had zero maintenance fee. Things came to a head when Apple finally discontinued Shake in July 2009.

Note: Apple acquired Emagic, a noted music software production company, in 2002 as well – soon after the deal with Nothing Real.

Swell (2014) – ‘When you can’t cope with a competitor, buy it’ – that seemed to be the rationale behind Apple’s acquisition of Swell – a mobile radio application. It offered high-quality music streaming services to iPhone users, with the content being customized from USA and Canada. Interestingly, the Swell app managed to garner much higher ratings and better reviews than Apple’s very own Podcasts application. By mutual agreement, the Swell Radio app was removed from the App Store after the acquisition went through.
AuthenTec (2012) – This one ranks third in the list of most valuable acquisitions made by Apple ever (after NeXT and Anobit). AuthenTec was bought at a time when concerns of the security of Apple’s devices were rising, among general users and those who make iOS apps alike. The acquired company was founded in 1998, and had made a name for itself in building robust fingerprint sensors and other security add-ons for mobile devices. The deal went through for a whopping $356 million, and was probably a precursor to the now-integral NFC technology in the Apple ecosystem.
FoundationDB (2015) – FoundationDB was a NoSQL database startup based in Virginia. It used to make cheap, high-speed and completely secure databases that could be seamlessly used in various web applications. The prompt data access feature of FoundationDB, in particular, made the tool extremely useful for many of Apple’s online services, like iTunes and iBooks. Following the acquisition, it was officially announced that FoundationDB’s software would no longer be available for download. Instead, its capabilities were used to improve the quality of iCloud services.

Note: In 2013, Apple had snapped up Acunu a data analytics and database setup built on Cassandra (yet another NoSql database).

12. C3 Technologies (2011) – Apple followed up its relatively low-key acquisition of Placebase and Poly9 (3D mapping agencies) with the takeover of C3 Technologies in 2011. The company was based in Sweden, and after the acquisition, the division was renamed ‘Sputnik’. The deal was valued at $267 million, and Apple clearly had plans to take advantage of the 3D mapping technology to upgrade iOS maps and gradually move away from the Google Maps service.

Prss, a digital magazine publishing startup, was bought by Apple in the second half of 2014. Chomp, an app search engine, was also acquired in 2014 – while the Ottocat search engine was taken over a year earlier. In the last 12 months or so, Apple has acquired companies from various domains – from Mapsense (mapping visualization), LegbaCore (firmware security) and Emotient (gesture recognition), to VocalIQ (speech technology) and Turi (machine learning). The Cupertino company does not make as many acquisitions as Google – but there is no dearth of interesting Apple takeovers over the years.

Personalized recipe app

Bus timetable app

App for buyers

Medical information app

App for activating home appliances

Story contribution app

Brand/product profiler app

Charge sharing app

Picnic planner app

App for flirting/dating

App to play your favourite music at public places

Tell a cartoon story app

App for a cleaner neighborhood

Rain prediction app

A ‘No Smoking’ app

HttpMaster

Apache JMeter

SoapUI

DHC

Postman

Runscope

Parasoft

TestingWhiz

vRest

Jack Cator (26)

David Karp (28)

Brian Rudolph (25)

Stefanie Botelho (29)

Evan Spiegel (25)

Tarun Gangwani (27)

Dan Teran (26)

Maran Nelson (24)

Jessica Hendricks (27)

Eric Duffy (27)

Nanxi Liu (25)

Carly Strife (29)

Christian Owens (21)

Robert Lee (27)

Daniel Fine (22)

B. Byrne (25)

Harli Jordean (13)

Ian Crosby (29)

Andrew Flachner (27)

Noah Kraft (28)

A ‘new’ technology

Security – the double edged sword

How are API tools chosen?

On the mobile platform

Why are APIs used?

Agile vs waterfall

Supported platforms

A ‘successful API’ is one that delivers…

Focus on quality and issue resolution

10. Risks posed by poor API quality

11. Industries using APIs –

12. Main challenges for API providers

13. Tools used for API testing

14. Formal documentation is important

15. Finding the problem. Fixing the problem.

What exactly is Swagger?

Why is Swagger preferred by developers?

Is Swagger open-source?

How can you start using Swagger?

How to migrate from Swagger 1.x to Swagger 2.0?

How is build and deployment managed in Swagger?

What is the Swagger Editor?

What’s there for API Consumers?

What are the steps to integrate Swagger documentation in your app?

10. What’s new in Swagger 2.0?

11. Why should developers use Swagger?

12. What is the Restlet Studio for API definitions all about?

Support for agile app development

Platform flexibility

JSON objects and asset management

Moving beyond Swagger

Usergrid 2 is here

High-end security

Excellent app testing framework

Auto-scaling to handle variations in API demand

Push notifications for greater user-engagement