Home 2-Part Series from SXSW: 5 Interviews About the Rise of APIs

2-Part Series from SXSW: 5 Interviews About the Rise of APIs

Here is the first of a two-part series about the rise of APIs at SXSW this year. It consists of five interviews: Oren Michels of Mashery, Mike Maney of Alcatel-Lucent, John Musser of Programmable Web, Sam Ramji of Apigee and Matt Galligan, chief strategy officer at SimpleGeo.

I fashioned a new video tool with an old fishing rod for the interviews. It helps extend the camera and keeps it steady. I used my bike pant ties to attach the camera to the pole. It gets attention as you will see in the interview with Oren.

In the first two interviews I talk with Michels and Maney. In the convention center, Mashery and AppCircus created “Circus Mashimus,” where app developers competed and did demonstrations for SXSW attendees.

At the Hilton, Alcatel-Lucent hosted the ELEVEN API Lounge, a place for developers to hang out and compete for prizes including a live action game of Angry Birds.

Both lounges were packed with people when I stopped in. It points to the changing interest in APIs. The suits arrived this year. And they want to invest in APIs as a way to unlock the data that they have in any number of data silos.

Disclosure: Both Mashery and Alcatel are ReadWriteWeb sponsors. Spiceworks paid for Alex Williams airfare and hotel to attend SXSW.

Here are the interviews:

Oren Michels

Mike Maney

APIs are now far more than a curiosity. They are essential to understanding the information economy. It’s apparent at SXSW that large companies recognize this fact and want to program their infrastructures for this new data universe.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.