If you API it, they will come... (Hints about a "Full" API coming for Windows Live Messenger)

LiveSide - News blog - Messenger 9, GTalk integration, Messenger API, new client for Mac OS X - news unveiled at Georgia Tech presentation (whew)

"...

So just to review, according to what Hollingsworth reported that Jenks said:

• New API coming for Messenger, hopefully including "full support for everything the full messenger client uses"
• API Tech Preview to be released at Mix08, Beta 1 API ready with Messenger 9 final
• Messenger 9 ships in late 08 or early 09
• MS is trying to work out a way for WLM users to chat with AIM/GTalk/ICQ: basic internal version of GTalk working now
• Brand new version of Messenger for Mac OS X coming - "really cool and awesome", MSN Messenger for Mac will not be updated
• Xbox Live, now using Messenger 7, will be upgraded to 8.5 or possibly 9

..."

I've been feeling lately that one a way for a software company to succeed, to get their cool service or nifty product used and embedded into our lives, is to provide an API. A full and complete API.

I'm thinking that any Web 2.0 thing should (must?) have a API. Nearly any software product or service should also have an API or SDK... (Yeah, I know... "Great thinking Mr. Obvious..."  lol  )

For example, SkyDrive, folders.live.com. I can think of a ton of cool things I'd like to do with that, only if there were a supported SDK or API. But there's not, so I'm just not drawn to using it much (and it's a pretty darn cool service too... I'm keeping my fingers crossed that one will come...).

Look, there are probably more of us devsumers (development skilled consumers) than there are developers in your company (so you would hope anyway ;). If you build a cool service, we'll build on it, and take it places you never thought of. Just look at where mash-ups have taken us. That's what we LOVE doing, building cool stuff. If you make it easier for us to build cool stuff, then we will! We'll use your product/service/API and will build the cool stuff.

Let's take Windows Liver Writer as an example. Its API has allowed us to extend it in ways Microsoft may have never thought of. Some of the plugins are just too cool and make it easier, fill in its gaps, more convenient and just plain better. If it didn't have its API? I doubt I'd be using it... But as it is today, you would have to pry WLW from my cold dead fingers before I give it up.

Real lock-in (err...um... I mean... dedicated product loyalty and mutual beneficial dependency.... yeah... that...) happens when the developers get a hold of your API and build the uber-cool stuff on top of it. That's when your product/service/framework/platform/API becomes indispensable...

Your front end, user interface, etc should be built on this API. Not grafting on an API after the fact (better than nothing, but that's still icky). Building on your own API means you'll be dogfooding from day one, it will be tested and secure (hopefully) and you won't be able to be accused of using insider knowledge, secret calls and hidden methods.

 

API it (and build a cool product of service on top of it to show it off) and the developers will come...