Just as iTunes needs an iPod, Data Services Need "Data Players"

One of the things that we have learned from the digital music world is not only is it important to have consistency in content (including format, behavior, and business model), but it is also equally important to have a "player" to essentially provide a "solution" for the content. After all, where would iTunes be without the iPod? In fact, either the iPod or iTunes alone would be difficult to use and probably have no where near the adoption that we witness today. The two need each other to have true applicability for the masses. In other words, the masses need a solution.

We understand this at StrikeIron, and believe the same is true in the Web services world, especially with data services. True, many developers can take the Web services APIs we provide and build their own "iPods", but usually only after having used another version of an "iPod" created by someone else to start from. This enables a foundation for building a better or customized version of a "content player" for Web services because someone can actually see how the data can be used.

To demonstrate this, we have created several implementations of "players" for our data services content. These have been made available to serve as both a solutions for a given Web service that can be used as user interfaces to access data, but also as a starting point or model for other "players" that utilize the live data or functionality that the Web service provides.

Some examples available on our site include:

• SOA Express for Excel www.strikeiron.com/tools/tools_soaexpress.aspx an Excel-based universal "player" for Web services.
• A Flex S-control for verifying addresses in Salesforce.com: www.strikeiron.com/salesforce
• Sample HTML apps, such as this one for looking up current telephone number information: www.strikeiron.com/sample/reversephonelookup/reversephonelookup.aspx
• Desktop clients such as these: www.strikeiron.com/clients/QuickSMS.zip
• ..and many more in our Developers Integration center.

Our partners are also building several "players" utilizing Web services from StrikeIron including companies like IBM, BEA, crmFusion, Ratchetsoft, Solica, RingLead and c360. Each of these are technology-specific "players" that utilize data content from StrikeIron to provide a greater solution, and therefore much more accessible by end users.

As you can imagine, with SOA, RIAs, widgets, Flex, Ajax, Apex, Silverlight and everything else evolving before our eyes, the proliferation of "players" is at a very early stage. Each of these will be major drivers of live data services from companies like StrikeIron.