Good APIs Project

When relying on an externally hosted service there can be some element of risk such as loss of service, change in price of a service or performance problems. Some providers may feel the need to change APIs or feeds without notice which may mean that your applications functionality becomes deprecated. This should not stop developers from using these providers but means that you should be cautious and consider providing alternatives for when a service is not (or no longer) available. Developers using external APIs should consider all eventualities and be prepared for change. One approach may be to document a risk management strategy and have a redundancy solution in mind. Another might be to avoid using unstable APIs in mission critical services: bear in mind the organisational embedding of services. Developing a good working relationship with the API supplier wherever possible will allow you to keep a close eye on the current situation and the likelihood of any change.