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Using APIs for Success in Government

Richard Fong, Technical Implementation Consultant

September 13, 2012

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Agenda

• What’s an API? • Why do APIs matter? • GovDelivery API • Success Stories • Questions

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Setting the Stage

• Get to the Web because that is where your customers are! • “The web browser is no longer the exclusive gateway”*

• People access the content with different devices… − Smartphones − Tablets − Intelligent devices

*What is an API – 3scale.com

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What is an API?

• Application Programming Interface APIs

• “API is specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other” - Wikipedia

• Software-to-software

• Applications communicate with each other

• Facilitates the exchange & integration of data between different systems

• Extend the platform

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What is an API?

Not new and many types

*What is an API – 3scale.com

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What is an API?

High level view

Requester Provider API

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What is a Web API?

• REpresentational State Transfer architecture −REST

• Accessible over HTTP • Operations

−GET, POST, PUT, DELETE

• Messaging via XML or JSON • Collection of resources

−URIs

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APIs In The News!

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Real World Examples

• Examples include • Weather.com

• Global forecast • Current conditions • Weather alerts

• Amazon.com • Product information • Fulfillment • Payment

• Google Maps • Location based • Mobile apps • Visualized spatial data

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GovDelivery Web API

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Overview of Digital Communication Management

GovDelivery Network Cross-promote for more impact

Emergency Notification

Analytics & Filtering

Mobile

Automation

Social

Messaging Reach more people

Drive deeper engagement

Enable tight integration

Communicate anytime, anywhere

Measure the impact

Keep the public safe and informed

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1. Citizens see opportunity to stay engaged with organization of interest

2. Citizens select only the types of information they want to receive.

3. Personalized messages are sent automatically via email, text message, or RSS

4. Citizens share message with friends and acquaintance and reach of original communication is extended.

How the Public Uses DCM

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How You Use DCM

1. Identify existing content – web pages, RSS feeds, social media accounts and/or document files.

2. Simply point GovDelivery to the content

3. GovDelivery proactively monitors sources for changes or updates

4. GovDelivery creates and sends formatted, multi-channel messages to subscribers (or a draft is created for your approval)

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Deep experience – Substantial scale • More than 550 public sector organizations manage their digital communications

though GovDelivery

• More than one billion messages are sent quarterly by government agencies through GovDelivery

• 30,000 people sign up every day through GovDelivery to receive digital messages from the government

• Client messages have an industry-leading deliverability rate greater than 99%

• Clients typically grow the base of people they reach by 75% in the first year

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GovDelivery Web API

• Representational State Transfer (REST) architecture − Industry standard

• All requests goes through SSL − Secure

• Messaging via XML • Client implementations using

− JAVA − .NET C#, ASP, VB − PERL − php

• Open the GovDelivery platform to solve problems

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GovDelivery API

• Exposed resources (URIs)

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GovDelivery API

GovDelivery API

GovDelivery Platform

Create subscribers Manage topics Send bulletins

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Success Stories

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GovDelivery API – Examples

U.S. Census Bureau Mobile Application • Provides access to key economic

indicators about the U.S. economy

• Allow subscribers to get alerts to 13 different economic indicator topics

• Android and iOS

• Extend their reach

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GovDelivery API – Examples

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) • Subscriber and Subscriber Topics call • Create and update subscribers • Assign and update subscribers

to more than 15 grants topics • Daily batch process to sync

internal grantees database with GovDelivery

• Automate process and reduce staff resources

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GovDelivery API – Examples

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration • Bulletins APIs

• Provide airworthiness information for all parts of an airplane

• Provide critical updates on equipment to keep public safe & inform stakeholders

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GovDelivery API – Examples

Internal Revenue Service • Check on refund status

• Access easy-to-understand tax tips

• Get tax tips email alerts

• Subscriber API

• Increase reach and capture many new subscribers

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GovDelivery API – Examples

National Weather Service • Automate tsunami Warning

Messages • Near real-time alerts • Email and SMS • Send bulletin call • Automate the delivery of

messages • Life-saving, critical

information with high deliverability guarantee

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GovDelivery API – Examples

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) • Category and Topics API

• Customized subscription form

• Offers greater control over agency branding

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GovDelivery API – Examples

City of Fullerton, CA • Subscriber API

• Crime alert updates

• Offers quick subscribe capability to specific police district via mapping tool or address match

• Greater integration across various databases, helps keep citizens safe & informed

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GovDelivery API – Examples

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, UK • Bulletins API

• Ensure medicines and medical devices work

• Effectively communicate accurate and timely information

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GovDelivery API – Examples Pure Michigan -- Michigan’s Official Travel Site • Subscriber and Subscriber Topics call

• Create and update subscribers

• Assign subscribers to Fall Colors Updates

• More flexibility in integrating to existing forms

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GovDelivery API – Examples

Bay Area Rapid Transit • Send bulletin call

• Near real-time alerts • Services disruptions

• Elevator issues

• Email and SMS

• Proactive communications for riders to increase/ maintain satisfaction

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Questions?

Richard Fong Technical Implementation Consultant richard.fong@govdelivery.com

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Upcoming Event: Digital Government & Communications

Keynote Speaker: Peter Sims, author of Little Bets: How Breakthrough Idea Emerge from Small Discoveries Location: Grand Hyatt, 1000 H Street NW, Washington D.C. 20001 Date/Time: Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 7:30am – 12:30pm Cost: There is no charge for government employees, officials, and contractors – breakfast is included

Register online at

http://bit.ly/GovComms1016