Mike Amundsen

Layer 7 Principal API Architect

An internationally known author and lecturer, Mike Amundsen travels throughout the world consulting and speaking on a wide range of topics including distributed network architecture, Web application development, and other subjects. In his role of Director of Architecture for the API Academy, Amundsen heads up the API Architecture and Design Practice in North America. He is responsible for working with companies to provide insight on how best to capitalize on the myriad opportunities APIs present to both consumers and the enterprise. Amundsen has authored numerous books and papers on programming over the last 15 years. His most recent book is a collaboration with Leonard Richardson titled "RESTful Web APIs". His 2011 book, “Building Hypermedia APIs with HTML5 and Node”, is an oft-cited reference on building adaptable distributed systems. Twitter: @mamund

Clients Matter, Services Don't
Track: Everything as a Service (XaaS) - Web APIs

Location:

Abstract:
As HTTP-based APIs become more common and more standardized, mindshare and momentum is shifting from a service-oriented model to the "client-side" of the application space. It is the client application that users fall in love with and it is the client application developer that holds the keys to this relationship.

Client developers pick APIs based not just on ease of use and helpful document. Often they are selecting APIs that make their applications "look good" and APIs that can be easily "mashed up" with other service offerings into new "applications" - ones that don't rely on just one service API.

This talk reviews patterns in developer practices and trends in services and libraries -- from the increase in the number of client-side libraries such as EmberJS, Angular, and Bootstrap to the appearance of new "API composition" platforms such as Strong Loop -- that give us a picture of why it's important to identify and leverage the growing sentiment that "Clients Matter, Services Don't.