Category Archives: Application programming interface

Application programming interface, File Sharing, File transfer, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA, Medical, My Docs Online, PHI, Protected health information, Tools, Web Applications

Secure File Delivery API Aimed at Medical Records Sharing

My Docs Online yesterday released its “Secure File Delivery API” which allows web and mobile apps to easily incorporate HIPAA-compliant file delivery. Although My Docs Online supports a wide variety of professionals and small businesses needing secure file sharing, a significant part of their customer base uses the product for files containing “Protected Health Information” (PHI). This core competency should make My Docs Online an attractive partner for adding ad hoc file delivery to a variety of EMR, EHR and other medical applications.

My Docs Online Secure File Delivery includes the following features and options:

  • Branded web page listing the files being delivered
  • Optional PIN or password
  • HIPAA compliant
  • SSL standard for all connections
  • Files encrypted at rest using AES256
  • Default file delivery expiration in days with override
  • Control panel enabling checking of delivery results, link reuse, and delivery cancellation
  • Delivery results query via API
  • Delivery cancellation via API

Details and documentation.

(disclosures)

Application programming interface, Cloud Elements, Messaging, Partnerships, SendGrid, Tools, Twilio

Cloud Elements Releases Unified Twilio, SendGrid Messaging Hub

Cloud Elements, today announced the availability of a new developer tool to connect Twilio and SendGrid, the two leading cloud API platforms for SMS messaging, voice and email respectively via a single uniform application programming interface (API). The Cloud Elements Messaging Hub provides a single console to provision, integrate, monitor and maintain these services, providing an integrated messaging platform that delivers seamless interaction between the leading SMS, voice and email service providers. With Cloud Elements’ Messaging Hub, software developers now have the quickest and most cost-effective way to bring Twilio and SendGrid services into their SaaS applications.

Available without charge for the remainder of 2013, the Cloud Elements Messaging Hub allows developers to easily provision and integrate services within their specific environments with a simple click of a mouse. The Element’s singular dashboard offers automated monitoring, innovative tagging for granular account tracking, and seamless, interoperability between services (e.g., send an email, receive a text confirmation).

“Twilio is the top innovator in SMS and voice messaging services and SendGrid leads the email services market,” said Mark Geene, CEO of Cloud Elements. “Cloud Elements’ mission is to make it easier for developers to integrate, monitor and maintain the cloud services their applications depend on. Cloud Elements brings these two messaging leaders together with a uniform API and consolidated monitoring, logging and analytics. Developers can use both of their services in a fraction of the time with a fraction of the code.”

”We’re excited by what Cloud Elements is doing with their new Messaging Hub,” said Lynda Smith, CMO of Twilio. “Developers often work with multiple APIs in the process of building out their solutions. The Cloud Elements approach allows them to manage them from a single dashboard, freeing up more time to create cool things. We can’t wait to see what Cloud Elements’ customers build with this new tool.”

“Our mission at SendGrid is to make email simple, easy and fast for developers,” said Jim Franklin, CEO of SendGrid. “Cloud Elements is bringing our existing partnership with Twilio to the Cloud Elements customer ecosystem, and is making it even easier for developers to integrate both email and messaging by offering a singular, uniform API and dashboard. The resulting streamlined integration, maintenance and management benefits are big wins for any developer looking to save time and money.”

Application programming interface, Cloud Security Alliance, Data loss, Denial-of-service attack, Notorious Nine, Opinion, Research

Do You Know the Top Threats to Cloud Security?

Where computing goes, trouble follows — in the form of hackers, disgruntled employees, and plain old destructive bugs. And as computing is moving to the Cloud (it says so right there in our logo!) that’s where some of the newest threats are emerging.

The Cloud Security Alliance has identified The Notorious Nine, (registration required) the top nine cloud computing threats for 2013.

Data breaches, data loss, account and traffic hijacking, insecure interfaces and APIs, denial of service attacks, malicious insiders, cloud “abuse” (using the power of the cloud to crack passwords), lack of due diligence, and shared technology platforms leading to shared vulnerabilities.

 

Android, Application programming interface, Cloud Storage, Document Management, DropBox, iOS, Storage, Tools

Dropbox API Allows Developers to Get Sync With Less Effort

Dropbox today announced a new application programming interface for in-app synch. The new API is intended to lure developers to Dropbox by making programmers’ life  easier by letting their native iOS/Android apps treat users’ cloud-based files as if they were stored locally.

“Give your app its own private Dropbox client and leave the syncing to us.”

Learn more at Dropbox.

Application programming interface, Big Data, Database, NoSQL, Relational database, SQL, Tools

FairComs Newest c-treeACE Bridges SQL, NoSQL Worlds

FairCom today announced the tenth major edition of its cross-platform database technology, c-treeACE® V10, that introduces the industry’s first Relational Multi-Record Type support for seamless integration between relational and non-relational database worlds.

c-treeACE V10 also delivers features such as new Java interfaces, performance and scalability enhancements, additional platform support, and new replication models. With this latest version come significant performance gains including 30 percent faster transaction throughput, 60 percent faster SQL performance, 200 percent better replication throughput, and 26 percent faster read performance.

“The database market is growing substantially, yet there are many problems plaguing developers today: large data volumes; requirements to reduce data access time; data access requirements from a myriad of new locations, like mobile devices and the cloud; trickier integration; and decreasing budgets,” said Randal Hoff, FairCom’s VP of Engineering. “Engineers tell us they really need technology that enables them to work seamlessly within both the relational and non-relational worlds. In the past, they’ve felt forced to choose one or the other, when, in fact, they realize concrete benefits from both. Our newest c-treeACE gives them the flexibility to enjoy the best of both worlds: high performance data throughput levels that a NoSQL database can provide; and concurrent relational access for ease of data sharing with other parts of the enterprise, including cloud and mobile devices, all at a reasonable price point.”

For more than 30 years, FairCom has provided a unique model to enterprise database developers and ISVs not available from off-the-shelf databases. Its c-treeACE offers the highest levels of tailored configuration and control while simultaneously supporting a variety of non-relational API’s (e.g., ISAM, .NET, and JTDB) along with industry-standard relational API’s (e.g., SQL, JDBC, ODBC, PHP, Python, etc.) within the same application, over the same data. Enterprises such as Federal Express, Microsoft, NASA and Visa have used FairCom technology in mission-critical solutions.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50473561&lang=en


Application programming interface, Tinypass, Tools

Tinypass Launches Cloud-Based, Content Metering Tool for its Digital Paywall Platform

Tinypass, a flexible and consumer-friendly paywall platform for digital publishers, announced today a new content metering capability that allows publishers to provide a specified amount of free – or “metered” – access to their site’s content before visitors are asked to pay. The technology offers publishers a broad range of control in implementing a metered access model, enabling them to set the amount of free content users are able to view based upon either the number of articles/resources retrieved or by time frame. For example, offering 24-hours of free access to allow visitors to preview site offerings.

“We’re committed to empowering digital publishers with the ability to monetize their content in effective, affordable and consumer-friendly ways,” said David Restrepo, Chief Operating Officer of Tinypass. “What’s great about the new, metered access capability is that it allows content owners of any size to quickly and easily implement a customized access model that their visitors will already be familiar with from experience accessing content on the sites of several of the world’s largest publishers. Like the rest of our cloud-based technology platform, the metering tools are completely scalable and, with zero upfront costs, can be deployed by operators of all sizes.”

The metering functionality is built into Tinypass’ plugins for WordPress and Drupal, as well as Tinypass’ PHP- and Java-based APIs. Media owners Worldcrunch, Summit Business Media and the Chicago Phoenix are among the first publishers to begin rolling out the new meter tool on their sites.

In addition to offering site owners a choice between a quantity or time frame approach, the Tinypass metering tool can be implemented in two separate technology modes – a client-side mode or a client- and server-side mode. The client-side mode operates in a manner similar to the paywall offerings of the New York Times and The Financial Times and works through cookies added to the user’s browser. After users have accessed a preset amount of free content, they are asked to create an account to continue reading.

A more secure approach includes both client- and server-side user confirmation. The addition of a small amount of code to the publisher’s content management system (CMS) prevents users from circumventing the access meter simply by clearing the cookies in his or her browser.

Using the Tinypass meter, publishers are free to make their own decisions in regards to inbound, referring links to their site. Visits that originate from social networking and other news sharing sites can be counted against the meter or treated as separate interactions that do not count against free views.


Apica, Apica WebPerformance, AppDynamics, Application programming interface, Google Analytics, Performance testing, SPDY, Tools

Apica WebPerformance Now Supports HTML5, Integrates with AppDynamics, Cloud Services, and Google Analytics

Enhancements to Apica WebPerformance portal, introduced today, include integration with AppDynamics and Google Analytics, HTML5 support, real browser monitoring from leading browsers, and provides an API solution for advanced monitoring capabilities.

Apica WebPerformance monitors the delivery of all web content and application functionalities from more than 100 locations worldwide, providing a controlled perspective on application performance. Using Apica WebPerformance’s powerful analytics, users can drill down to the code level to better understand the capacity, scalability, and responsiveness of their applications; troubleshoot bottlenecks; and take measures to proactively improve performance.

The latest enhancements to Apica WebPerformance include:

  • Integration with AppDynamics and Google Analytics. Real-time data
    from third-party accounts is fed directly into the Apica
    WebPerformance portal to provide deeper insight into the correlation
    of performance and traffic from a single location.
  • Websockets/HTML5 and SPDY standards support. To optimize the
    performance of live, rich media content such as real-time game
    updates, stock feeds, and status indicators, Apica WebPerformance
    includes Kaazing support, a commercial full-duplex communication
    server using Websockets and HTML5.
  • HTML5 GUI. The entire Apica WebPerformance portal now supports
    HTML5, which means that it can be accessed from laptops, smartphones,
    or tablets. The interface adjusts itself to the chosen platform so
    customers can keep track of their web performance wherever they are
    located.
  • Expanded real browser monitoring. Apica
    WebPerformance now supports browser checks from Google Chrome, in
    addition to Internet Explorer and Firefox. This provides a true
    end-user view of performance from the most popular browsers used today.
  • API access. Developers can embed monitoring results and
    performance check summaries into native programs using real-time data
    from Apica’s
    global network of monitoring agents.
  • Self-service functionality. Users can easily record scripts on
    their own and immediately begin reviewing and analyzing the
    performance of their website.

“Consumer demand for high-performing websites and applications is constantly increasing. Fast response times are no longer a luxury; they are expected,” says Sven Hammar, CEO of Apica. “Performance testing as part of the development process, not just after launch but prior to launch as well, is necessary to avoid problems that can cost businesses time, money, and poor brand reputation. We’ve enhanced our WebPerformance solution with more standards support and integration so users can correlate data from multiple instances and locations across the globe to get a transparent look at application performance and improve the end-user experience. We give businesses the power to optimize their web performance and identify issues before they impact customers.”


Application programming interface, Collaboration, eMix, Health Care, Health informatics, Medical, Medical imaging, Open Image Exchange, Partnerships

eMix integrates PACSGEAR API to Enable Medical Image Sharing

PACSGEAR today announced an agreement with eMix, a cloud-based virtualized electronic medical information exchange, to participate in the Open Image Exchange, a cloud-based network designed to securely share medical images and information. PACSGEAR will incorporate the application programming interface (API) from eMix to upload images and reports for cloud-based sharing and storage.

“We are pleased to have eMix join the network,” said Eli Rapaich, PACSGEAR’s CEO. “The success of the Open Image Exchange continues to be based on incorporating open APIs, which improves access to medical images and other health information,” Rapaich said.

“Being part of the Open Image Exchange improves access between healthcare institutions, physicians, and patients,” said Florent Saint-Clair, eMix general manager. “Our anytime, anywhere approach to securely sending patient information with eMix has now been adopted by over 450 customers. Open Image Exchange broadens our ability to connect with even great numbers of customers.”


Application programming interface, Business Processes, DocuSign, Electronic Signature, Partnerships

DocuSign Speeds Integration with New eSignature REST API

Image representing DocuSign as depicted in Cru...

DocuSign today launched a new eSignature REST API for its industry leading DocuSign Global Network. This innovative, visually driven API makes connecting with DocuSign’s eSignature Transaction Management platform faster and easier for customers and partners. Organizations leveraging the API can offer DocuSign eSignature convenience from existing or new business processes in just hours of development time instead of weeks – accelerating speed to results, reducing costs, and delighting customers.

“More developers are using DocuSign’s open eSignature integration framework to integrate into their existing business solutions and apps than any other eSignature solution,” said Grant Peterson, chief technology officer, DocuSign. “The release of our new eSignature REST API standard and toolkit dramatically shortens the time it takes to integrate and deploy DocuSign – no matter what systems or devices customers use to run their business.”

“The eSignature REST API is visually stunning and ready for enterprise use,” said Dave Messinger, community architect, Appirio. “We were encouraged with how quickly we were able to integrate DocuSign into our CloudSpokes architecture – taking us days to prototype solutions instead of weeks or months. It just works. We’re excited and encourage CloudSpoke’s developers to take a look.”

DocuSign’s new eSignature REST API standard is built to be open and extensible, and was developed in collaboration with a number of the world’s leading cloud-based companies, including Appirio, Box, Mashery, salesforce.com, and others. This new industry standard will continue to be enhanced based on developer, partner, and customer feedback.

“DocuSign’s new eSignature REST API will enable salesforce.com customers – as well as developers in our partner ecosystem – to quickly and easily integrate with DocuSign,” said Mike Rosenbaum, senior vice president, AppExchange & Force.com Operations, salesforce.com. “Enterprises are accelerating their move to the cloud with architectures built around open APIs, instead of dealing with servers and software.”

As an integral component of the DocuSign Cloud Partner Program, the DocuSign Developer Program provides resources to facilitate integrations of all kinds, including technical evangelists, a complete API, online community, and a developer program described by ProgrammableWeb as “the strongest of all the [electronic signature] providers researched.”

DocuSign’s new eSignature REST API Toolkit includes:

  • Step-by-Step
    API Walkthroughs     – A detailed, step-by-step
    visualization of the API call flows, function code examples, and
    detailed explanations of every step.
  • API
    Explorer     – Developer onboarding tool powered by Mashery
    I/O Docs that provides the specific methods and code needed to execute
    tasks and workflow.
  • Online Documentation – Robust documentation of the REST API and
    how it can be used to accelerate development.
  • Community Forums – Fully monitored and supported community site
    to get questions answered quickly. In addition, DocuSign will
    establish set ‘Office Hours’ during June and July to further support
    developers.

“Offering developers an API Explorer to get started quickly is a key element of DocuSign’s full-dimensional API program,” said Neil Mansilla, director of platform evangelism & partnerships, Mashery. “DocuSign did an extensive integration using Mashery I/O Docs. DocuSign’s impressive code contributions back to the project will benefit developers and the open source community.”

“We already have more than 5,000 active developer accounts using our existing APIs today,” said Roger Erickson, vice president for customer success, DocuSign. “The speed-to-value equation of our new standard is truly amazing, and we view our eSignature REST API as a ‘crossing the chasm’ moment for embedding DocuSign eSignature and workflow management into any business process or system.”

Customers and partners are already using DocuSign’s eSignature REST API to help accelerate transaction cycle times to increase speed to results, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction with the easiest, fastest, most secure way to send, sign, track, and store documents in the cloud. “DocuSign has really made a step forward in helping developers with the new eSignature REST API,” said Martin Davey, executive vice president of Industry Solutions, Thunderhead.com. “The API walkthrough area provides a quick and simple introduction to using the services and the REST API allows us to send out documents for signature, get real-time status updates, and embed DocuSign within our apps.”

Companies and developers interested in learning more about the new eSignature REST API standard and toolkit, upcoming webcasts, and other API resources should visit the DocuSign Developer Center at www.docusign.com/developer-center.


Amazon Web Service, Appcara, Application programming interface, Enterprise software, IT Management, Rackspace, VCloud, VMware

Appcara Debuts Its AppStack Release 2 Platform, A Dynamic Application Layer Above the Cloud

Appcara, maker of cloud application lifecycle solutions, announced a major new version of its AppStack application and portability platform that helps enterprises and service providers accelerate complex applications into the cloud and deliver new application-based revenue sources. Incorporating a real time Dynamic Application Environment layer that eliminates the need for server templates or scripting, AppStack Release 2 changes the rules of cloud computing. With AppStack 2, enterprises and service providers gain exceptionally fast time-to-market for key business applications – maximizing time, knowledge and profitability.

While cloud deployments are common for simple web apps, the $385 billion enterprise application market remains the province of on-premises data centers, in large part because IT staffs lack the tools required to truly govern VMware, Citrix, or other private and hybrid applications running on Amazon Web Services, Citrix CloudStack or VMware vCloud. While cloud app management solutions exist, they require deep technical knowledge of application stacks, and a lot of manual, error-prone effort to use.

AppStack provides an advanced application layer above public and private clouds – to capture application components, configurations and dependencies in real-time in the industry’s only dynamic Configuration Repository – thereby automating all aspects of the application lifecycle. By decoupling apps from low-level dependencies such as operating systems and machine images into its uniquely visual, intuitive, real time environment, AppStack 2 enables total application portability, even across different public clouds – for instance, from Amazon to Rackspace – as well as from public to private clouds. AppStack allows cloud computing to expand beyond simple, predefined workloads, and into the realm of serious enterprise applications – with a single pane of glass management interface, and eliminating vendor lock-in.

“For a long time enterprises have been seeking to leverage cloud environments for more complex business applications and take advantage of the flexibility, faster time to market and markedly lower cost structures delivered by the cloud. AppStack’s ability to capture and assemble these application graphically, in real-time, is something that’s businesses can truly leverage for improved efficiency and faster time to market,” said William Fellows, analyst at 451 Research.

A major new capability in AppStack 2 is the App Marketplace functionality that connects application publishers and consumers and provides a platform to enable usage-based applications, so that:

  • Corporations have immediate access to business applications, enabling
    them to integrate applications without the need to purchase, install &
    configure apps as with packaged software.
  • ISV’s can readily publish business applications for usage-based
    consumption
  • Distributors can resell applications in a usage-based model in the
    cloud, and to move away from traditional box-based software sales.

“Many of our clients come from the Life Sciences industry where they have very sophisticated, mission critical applications running on their servers. Making a move to the cloud wasn’t an option worth considering until the AppStack solution came along,” said Tim Caulfield, chief executive officer at American Internet Services (AIS). “The idea that AppStack can do the heavy lifting on the back-end and provide the user with a very clean, single-pane-of-glass interface, is quite appealing and fits nicely with our BusinessCloud1 offering.”

AppStack 2 builds upon existing AppStack patent-pending components that have been in use by service providers and enterprise customers, including:

  • Dynamic Application Engine – which
    captures user-defined app environments, settings and relationships in
    real-time, construct data models and insert into Configuration
    Repository. It automates provisioning, lifecycle management, and
    portability.
  • Configuration Repository – which stores
    application settings, dependencies and change records for all
    application workloads. This enables speedy provisioning of application
    workloads as well as the ability to de-couple lower level components
    such as operating systems for portability across cloud vendors.
  • Cloud Target Optimizer – which maps
    provisioning elements and instructions to vendor specific API’s and
    available capabilities.

“Enterprises need to get critical apps to market with the least effort and cost possible, and the solutions on the market today help with only simple, static environments,” said John Yung, founder and CEO of Appcara. “AppStack keeps it simple, fast, and visual to deploy and manage even complex applications in the cloud, so customers and service providers can lower their IT costs – even with enterprise applications – and focus on scaling their business.”

AppStack Release 2 will ship in July 2012. Appcara is showcasing its latest version of AppStack at Cloud Computing Expo New York, in its booth #257.