The NonProfit Times - June 1, 2008 - (Page 17)

TECHNOLOGY SHAUN SULLIVAN Donor Management Software Here’s what open technology really means to you f you have been keeping up with the major vendors in the nonprofit space, undoubtedly you have seen the phrase “open API” plastered everywhere. Sometimes, the term “open” is used in such a broad context that it’s hard to understand where the marketing spin ends and the beginning of true possible benefits for your organization. The good news is that in most cases open APIs are resulting in an unparalleled amount of flexibility in the software systems deployed by nonprofits. The emerging Web economy has catalyzed standards for integration and interoperability that will ultimately put the power in the hands of you, the consumer and user of software and services. So what does open really mean? There are many degrees of openness.A prime example of where the use of the word open leads to confusion is in regards to “open Getaways Hotel Stays Resorts & Spas I opened up new ways to access the data and services in its applications.This openness affords developers flexibility beyond the prescribed functionality in the base application. The concept of APIs is as old as software. But,the Internet has led to a rapid evolution from traditionally very proprietary API interfaces to a rich set of standards that serve as the enabling technologies and patterns behind almost all contemporary APIs.The end result is an environment where developers with solid skill sets around standard technologies such as XML and Web Services can rapidly gain proficiency with just about any product’s API. This standardized playing field had a key role in the birth of Web 2.0, where it is commonplace to build mash-ups that use APIs from many applications to remix them into new and even more exciting applications. Given the promise of Web 2.0 and open APIs, one certainly can see that it is in the best interest of software companies to “check the API box” on their marketing material. That said, checking the box is a Technology, page 18 Golf Vacations Travel Packages Major Sporting Events source.” An open API is not the same as open source. With open source solutions, source code is freely available in the public domain and can be liberally modified and employed with few restrictions. On the one hand, this is incredibly exciting, but on the other, it can be a doubleedged sword. In some cases, support issues, and a dependency on a transient community of developers to maintain and move the solution forward offset the initial cost benefits. In other words, an open source solution is only as good as the community of developers (including your organization’s appointed developer). The Application Programming Interface (API) in the simplest terms, is something programmers (and in some cases even non-programmers) use to modify, integrate, and extend applications. Unlike open source, the original source code is not modified when the API is employed. Instead, it leverages a vendor-defined interface to extend the application independent of the original implementation. Open in the context of an open API refers to the fact that the vendor has Cruises European Adventures Round-Trip Air Travel Nobody packs more into auction travel packages. There’s nothing like a fabulous travel auction to encourage your donors to show their support for your organization. We know. Mitch-Stuart is the leading provider of risk-free travel packages to the nonprofit community. With our Destinations of Excellence™ packages, you can offer trips to a sun-drenched island in Hawaii or the Caribbean, a city in Europe steeped in history and romance or a magical location right here in the United States. And you don’t pay a penny until the high bids are in. It’s like we always say: if you really want to motivate your donors, send them packing. ® M I T C H - S T U A R T, I N C . The leader in travel programs for non-profit fundraising www.mitchstuart.com/destinations 1-800-574-9991 JUNE 1, 2008 THE NONPROFIT TIMES www.nptimes.com 17 http://www.mitchstuart.com/destinations http://www.mitchstuart.com/destinations http://www.nptimes.com

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The NonProfit Times - June 1, 2008 First Kroc Center Set To Open It’s Layoffs And A Lawsuit At ARC In The Twin Cities Hospices Put On Life Support Contents Who...When...Where...How...What? Idol Charities Still Waiting For Funds Heck Of A Job Play On Words Make Endowments Pay Donor Management Software Who’s Next? Joining The Masses Online Email Evangelism Three Corners Business Briefs Fiduciaries And The 990 Calendar United Way Refocusing On Programs, Reducing Affiliates NPT Jobs Resource Directory

The NonProfit Times - June 1, 2008

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