In our latest webinar A Look Inside Tomorrow’s Digital Commerce Platform, Forrester analyst Peter Sheldon shared several exciting examples of how digital sellers are embracing the new explosion of touchpoints (Internet-enabled devices) to reach and engage connected consumers. Here’s a little taste…the full webinar is available on-demand now.

What’s the difference between a content API and a transactional API?

Any business that wants to expose IP (intellectual property) to be monetized through an API (think magazines and newspapers, music, video, gaming, ebooks, etc) needs a more complex solution than a content API, which offers open access to static content to virtually anyone with development judo chops. Twitter is an example, think of all the creative apps that have been built to enhance your experience, from dashboards, to leaderboards, to photo sharing and follower management. Some of these apps are monetized by the developers, but (at least for now), API access is free. And generally, content APIs are also easy to build.

Transactional APIs that expose digital products require different business models to monetize this content. They need to handle distribution and commerce platform functionality such as entitlements and payments. They require tighter authentication and security measures – HTTPS is not enough, they also need to be PCI compliant. Unlike content APIs, they need to measure revenue, not just database calls. And parts of the API may not be accessible to all, only trusted partners.