If you're like the millions of other Internet professionals, you're constantly on the lookout to improve some process - make it more efficient, more meaningful and more useful on the whole to your enterprise. Most, however, don't have the development skills necessary to make their wildest Web app dreams come true.
That's starting to change with solutions such as Zapier, however, a solution which helps its users connect different apps (Web-services) in order to automate tasks. Zapier announced this month that it is opening its developer platform to ease the complexities around connecting APIs.
Now, any service with an API (Application programming interface) can be added to Zapier and used to turn triggers into an action. For example, I use Zapier to record and store my new Twitter followers in a Google Drive document so I can follow up with them at my own convenience.
The new Zapier developer platform was built using the Backbone.js framework so it's optimized for speed. According to Zapier, all that is required for adding an app is defining what endpoints Zapier should poll or catch from and then the platform will handle the rest. The Zapier platform also handles authentication quite well
There are literally thousands of trigger/action combinations that can be created through the service. Zapier supports over 250+ third-party services for developers, including those for CRM, Social, Accounting, etc.. These aren't the most sophisticated applications in the digital world, mind you, but they are or can be incredibly useful. Definitely something to turn your colleagues on to.
Watch an example of an Etsy related app being built on the platform: