10-02-2008

Best Buy Opens up, An API for all

It can be hard to innovate around something that we have created ourselves. It has even been argue that its near impossible to be truly innovative in something that we have created ourselves. So it take a fresh perspective to see how one can use something in a new and useful way.

Enabling that fresh perspective is a core idea around an open API system. You are in effecting giving everyone a chance to play with your toys and create new toys with them. Asking that question, what can you build with our stuff.

The results from this freedom vary from useful to entertaining to mesmerizing and everything in between.

In short.
Best Buy has taken some first steps and released a limited API to the public. This will allow for people, anyone,  to start creating mash-ups of with Best Buy’s data, the same data that drives their entire website.  Twitter bots that offer SKU product looks-ups, widgets that count down to a products release are just the tip of the iceberg of possibility.

Why this is so cool .
Often, to do something really great you have to relinquish control.  This is a wonderful example of a major company loosening their grip around their data. Now users will get a chance to get involved with the Best Buy brand and the products they love on a completely different level.

Food for thought.
Best Buy is an interesting company to have an open API.  For companies like flickr and twitter the open API model fits nice because it allows for people to develop tools for interacting with their own data that is a part of the system.  Sure there will be some tools developed that allow people to interact with the products in novel and creative ways, but I am curious what the impact on their online advertising will be. Does this mean that we can now have smart banners that can make calls back and forth between the Best Buy databases?  Maybe even information linked to the Best Buy store that’s in my town? Best Buy already has rating and commenting systems in place, accessible via their API one could feasible pull them into Facebook environment or aggregate the reviews of a single product from multiple site onto one central location.

Ok enough rambling for one post.

View their API yourself.

This website uses IntenseDebate comments, but they are not currently loaded because either your browser doesn't support JavaScript, or they didn't load fast enough.

2 Comments to “Best Buy Opens up, An API for all”

David Doms October 5th, 2008 at 12:40 pm

Netflix has just released their API to the public as well. This could be a great compliment to development efforts using Best Buy data. You could combine the synopsis, movie ratings, and recommended movies from Netflix with purchase info from Best Buy. Sure you could get most of the same from BB but I think the Netflix movie audience is a dedicated bunch and not just the casual window shopper.

Also, it’s free for commercial use. Now we just need to sit back and wait for an app to debut on our mobile devices.

veryMickey November 11th, 2008 at 10:05 am

David, thats a great find, thanks for adding it! I have a feeling that we will see more and more companies start opening up their APIs. Have you seen anything created so far around the netflix one?