WSO2 began offering this week an open source API manager, providing managed API access and governance.
Available at the WSO2 website, WSO2 API Manager is intended to help developers find, evaluate, and subscribe to APIs. "The management enables API providers to be able to promote their APIs [and] to establish a developer community for the APIs where developers can learn more as to whether the API meets their requirements," said Chris Haddad, WSO2 vice president of technology evangelism.
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Developers, he added, can access sample code, software development kits, and API descriptions. "Also, API management enables you to offer a managed API that will exhibit a high quality of service so these APIs are monitored and you can understand the usage of the APIs."
Key features include an API Store for enterprises to set up their own Apple- or Google-like store where developers can subscribe to APIs, plus secure authorization via the OAuth 2.0 key model. Governance capabilities include monitoring for API usage and performance, as well as service-level agreement compliance. WSO2 plans to monetize the product through selling support and development services.
With its API manager, WSO2 is helping organizations build corporate platforms around information and linking to connected products, Forrester analyst Jeffrey Hammond said. "Connected products are about creating sticky experiences that connect consumers to a company through a product and allow third-party developer to participate in improving that experience. Mastercard, CBS Sports, Sears, and Nike are all example of companies that are building out these corporate platforms and using APIs as a key part of their strategy."
WSO2 joins such other companies as Apigee, Mashery, and 3scale in API management, Hammond and Haddad noted. To access WSO API Manager, prospective users also would download WSO2 Business Activity Monitor. While the current iteration of API Manager is single tenant, the company plans to release a multitenant, cloud-based version this fall, enabling multiple departments within the same organization to roll out their own API infrastructure. The cloud product will be available via public and on-premise cloud deployments.
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