Red Hat SummitRed Hat blog
I had the pleasure of meeting my colleague, Steve Willmott, at the Red Hat booth at the Gartner ITXPO Symposium where we had a chance to have some insightful discussion about API Management -- how it has evolved, where it is headed and its usage patterns etc. API Management is one of the techniques I called out during my session on the Relevance of Innovation at the Gartner symposium where I had made the point about the need to modernize integration techniques themselves over and above the modernization of infrastructure and applications. Just like I had made the point about “Integration is dead! Long live integration”.
“So, are you coming to APIStrat?" asked Wilmott.
Pictured: Steve Wilmott and E.G. Nadhan
And I took a detailed look at what Wilmott was talking about, and I am fascinated by what I saw. Live from the Gartner Symposium, let me walk you through why I think this is an event you want to be at if you are planning on doing anything with this thing that we loosely call -- API!
Collaboration drives the best form of innovation, according to Gartner VP, Markus Blosch. However, for this to be true, one needs to collaborate with personnel coming at the subject area in question from multiple perspectives -- providers and consumers across the spectrum of well-established enterprises as well as those high-spirited startups who get energized by the adoption of emerging technologies. Also, it helps to network with solution providers and integrators who innovate different ways of connecting the brave new world of devices -- the Internet of Everything!
Imagine having a single location that represents the confluence of these mindsets. That is what stood out for me as I reviewed the schedule for this conference. APIStrat brings together experts, leaders, and members of the community to discuss what we each see on the ground every day. This event is not just for developers and IT teams, it is also for business users, executives, and anyone who seeks to better understand how APIs are impacting the world around us.
Strategy matters.
That seems like a cliché statement but it holds true even more so when we encounter a new buzzword, a new way of doing things, an emerging technology. APIs need a strategy too. And this is true whether you are considering it or have already been using it for some time now.
Gartner Research Director for Applications, Mark O’Neil will be talking about API trends in the industry. Willmott himself will be delivering the opening remarks in addition to being part of panels with Red Hat Product Manager, Mike Piech explaining how the recent 3scale acquisition fits into the overall middleware suite. There are several sessions that span a wide spectrum as listed below:
-
Phases: Business Models, Design and Governance, Testing and Monitoring, Product Management
-
Domains: Security, microservices, data science,
-
Perspectives: Developer, Legal, Evangelism
-
Technology: IoT, FinTech, Hypermedia
There you have it!
So, here is what you can do with this API stuff. No matter where you are with APIs, have the right members in your enterprise attend -- and more importantly, engage and collaborate with the attendees -- to increase your overall awareness and share your experience. Something tells me that we will all be going back with an idea or two on best practices for how and where APIs could be used.
Collaboration after all drives the best form of innovation. Let us join forces to drive purposeful collaboration with APIs across the devices that constitute the Internet of Things. Who knows, these devices may also drive innovation on their own turf. Hello Machine Learning! But that is another blog for another day!
Register with the code REDHAT15 to get 15% off the registration fees.
