Alcatel-Lucent Completes Acquisition of ProgrammableWeb

Through its latest acquisition, Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert) takes plunge into the Web developer community. ProgrammableWeb is regarded as the technology industry's universal source for Web APIs (application programming interfaces). ProgrammableWeb's Web APIs are widely used by application developers to build web, mobile, and other connected applications that serve consumers and the workplace. Alcatel-Lucent has announced on the last week of June that it has acquired ProgrammableWeb. Terms of the acquisition, however, were not disclosed.

 

In an age, when a new mobile app hits the market every alternate day, through its latest move, Alcatel-Lucent is trying to make its mark into the new world of broadband mobile. As web APIs enable developers to create new applications leveraging various kinds of content and functionality, Alcatel-Lucent's acquisition of ProgrammableWeb will help bring together an ecosystem of service providers, enterprises, and developers to drive the creation of unique applications.

 

'If you look at any organization that launches an API, you quickly realize that the one thing the most successful APIs have in common is a vibrant developer ecosystem. Our goal is to protect the uniqueness and independence of ProgrammableWeb as an API repository and developer resource, while adding beneficial technologies and service provider relationships to the mix for everyone's benefit,' Laura Merling, vice president of Alcatel-Lucent's global developer strategy, explained.

 

Alcatel-Lucent has informed that post acquisition, ProgrammableWeb will continue to operate as a separate entity. ProgrammableWeb, itself will be responsible for maintaining its repository of over 2,000 Web APIs which are regularly accessed by a community of hundreds of thousands of developers. As such, even after the acquisition, it will continue to remain the industry's most comprehensive content source for Web services development.

 

On the other hand, Alcatel-Lucent will provide support and resources to promote the continued and robust growth of the API and developer ecosystem, and facilitate service providers' participation within that ecosystem.

 

In the recent past, Alcatel-Lucent took some initiatives in the areas of Open API Service and Developer Platform. With the acquisition of ProgrammableWeb, Alcatel-Lucent clearly seeks to further its initiatives. For Alcatel-Lucent this acquisition provides an important new channel to partner with the Web developer community.

 

It also gives Alcatel-Lucent access to general API usage patterns, allowing it to build highly relevant API Bundles for its Open API Service.

 

ProgrammableWeb's API monitoring services, API trial services, and automated API updates will be integrated into Alcatel-Lucent's Developer Platform.

 

In addition, Alcatel-Lucent will be able to share its developer resources, such as its dashboard that helps developers track application monetization, with ProgrammableWeb's developer community.

 

In a nutshell, the move advances Alcatel-Lucent's Application Enablement strategy, which is focused on combining the trusted and secure network capabilities of service providers with the speed and creativity of the Web to provide a richer end-user experience.