APIs are programming interfaces that enable a dialogue between programmes. Business based on APIs is a precondition for the platform economy. This experimental project increases understanding of the API economy by training and experimentation to enable faster development of the API economy in the real estate and construction sector. The project is led by APInf.

What kind of problem is the project trying to solve?

API management is one part of API value chains, something that operators in many sectors in Finland find confusing. Some of them understand the added value provided by API management, but it is still unclear to others.

Finland's API economy is only just beginning to develop so the partly inadequate understanding of the requirements and laws governing the API economy is understandable. However, an API management solution provides significant added value to the production of APIs and their implementation. A scalable platform economy based on an ecosystemic operating practice cannot be created without programming interfaces that are easy to use and find.

Objective: “Growth in the API economy through training and experimentation”

The project organises webinars and workshops aimed at increasing understanding of the API economy and the opportunities it provides from both a technical and a business perspective. By combining training and practical experimentation in API management and by trialling a systematic method of producing APIs, we create the best possible preconditions for accelerating the data and API economy in the KIRA sector.

What is done in this project:

APIOps® Cycles workshops in the KIRA-digi key project

The report on the needs and prerequisites of API management in the real estate and construction sector is published under a Creative Commons licence. APIOps® Cycles consists of a set of tools and methods for designing APIs that are suitable for API management. A business-oriented approach and the best technical practices are the driving force in the designing. The APIOps Cycles model used in the workshops is licenced under the Creative Commons licence and its contents can be read and downloaded for one's own use through the Github service.

The APIOps® method uses modern proven design frameworks, which have been modified to meet the needs of the API economy. The methods are based on Lean management methods, such as DevOps, Business Model Canvas, Value Proposition Canvas and Lean Startup. These methods have been applied in the creation of APIOps® Cycles.

The online workshops are implemented by APInf Oy according to the following schedule:

Planning of API business activities (APIOps® Canvases), 23 February 2018 9.00-10.00

In this workshop, we will familiarise ourselves with the use of Canvas tools with the focus purely on the development of business activities. The tools will be in use from the beginning along with the API tools.

Use this link to register for the workshop. The deadline for registering is 14.00 on 22 February.

Those who have registered will receive an invitation to the virtual workshop in an email by Thursday.
 
Development and management of APIs (APIOps® Cycles), 9 March 2018 9.00-10.00

In this workshop, we will continue the round started in the previous workshop and familiarise ourselves with the significance and content of the remaining topics.

Use this link to register for the workshop. The deadline for registering is 16.00 on 7 March.

Those who have registered will receive an invitation to the virtual workshop in an email on the day preceding the workshop.
 

You will have access to the API management solution until 30 June 2018
The project will bring the programming interfaces of the existing experimental projects to the scope of the management on a trial basis. The operating model enables operators that are not involved in the project to use the programming interfaces of the platform as a basis for their own applications and application experiments. The APInf API management solution includes support for the organisation. Each organisation has an API portal of its own displaying a list of its own programming interfaces only.

The involvement of larger operators provides added value to the operators that are less well known as larger operators attract more users to the API portal. At the same time, some of those taking advantage of the APIs also "come across" other programming interfaces.                

The APInf API management service is available as a SaaS service and as an on-premise service. Through the free tier subscription in the SaaS service, the joining organisations will be able to use 30,000 daily API calls free of charge. The calls in excess of this will be charged according to the price list. 

Who benefits?

The proposed experiment promotes KIRA-digi's objective to create a fruitful foundation for the development of a digital business ecosystem in the real estate and construction sector in Finland. The acceleration of the API economy in the sector will not be achieved by merely increasing the number of available tools. Training and experiments benefit the entire sector as the understanding of the API economy increases.