Recently a few blogs mentioned Connectwise’s efforts to urge usage of their growing APIs. A solid blog was written by Channelnomics and I encourage our readers to check it out (read post here). I wanted to offer my thoughts on how we, as the MSP community, should be understanding what Connectwise is promoting and why we all should be encouraging our core providers to invest in Open APIs.
Lets first describe what we mean by “Open APIs”. Having an open API means that a core software technology company (like a PSA, RMM, Billing, SPAM filter, etc) creates, maintains, and supports well structured Application Programming Interfaces that allow third party companies to request/push data to/from that system. “Open” also means these companies publish documentation on how to use their APIs and encourage almost any third party company to develop products using them. And lastly, and should almost go without saying but you never know, “open” means that these companies actually publish useful data through their APIs.
If you’ve noticed just by browsing the Internet this concept has become very popular recently. The Social Media world wants to make the Internet more personalized and the only way to do so is by having different products pass data to and from each other all day long. In the enterprise software world, openness has also been popularized by companies like Salesforce.com. For Salesforce.com, encouraging 3rd party companies to build off their API has been a great means to building an ecosystem around the Salesforce.com product (which is great for stickiness or client retention).
In our industry companies like Connectwise have been taking the most verbal lead recently in promoting this same openness and encouragement of third party products. I suspect its because they have taken much flak over the years about their APIs (which now are pretty good... trust us...we are all over them) but I’m sure also for a little bit of that “stickiness” goal. Unfortunately a few core products in our industry are not investing much in their APIs right now.
Why should you care if some of your core technology products do not invest in open APIs?
The real benefits of this Open API movement isn’t just with the core technology providers. The benefits we, as users of their products, receive FAR outweigh their business benefit of creating/maintaining them. To explain my point there are two main benefits we should all realize:
- Focus On Quality - If your core provider embraces Open APIs it means they truly want to focus on their solution and let others build around them. Focused software is better software just like the old saying goes: “the jack of all trades is a master of none”
- Embracing Innovation - By opening up APIs to other third party companies (like BrightGauge) these core systems are also fueling the engine of creativity and innovation around their systems. More innovative products means more valuable products for MSPs and their clients.
These two reasons alone, if embraced by a company, also really shows their humbleness and confidence in their product. It proves to me that they are making good on the promise to make great software and that goes a tremendously long way for me in a decision on which system to go with.
Of course Connectwise is not the only system with open APIs. There are other companies in our industry who also support great APIs and some to mention are Kaseya, GFI, Continuum, and AutoTask.
If you are running any system that is not truly investing in their APIs we hope this is enough encouragement for you to drop them a note and really understand their reasons. Focused software and great third party products will create tremendous value for the MSP community and their respective clients.
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