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Cloud computing has arrived. You can scarcely open a computer magazine or business journal without coming across an article about this transformative new approach to providing web-based services. Cloud computing is undoubtedly shifting the landscape. But what many observers miss is that, while cloud computing has arrived, only through APIs will its full business potential be realized.

Editor's note: this is a "Sponsor Post" by one of our long-term sponsors. These posts are clearly labeled as such, but we also want them to be useful and interesting to our readers. We hope you like the posts and we encourage you to support our sponsors by trying out their products.

When publishing an API, there are two preparatory steps to take before jumping into implementation. First, create metrics for determining the success of your effort. Secondly, take a good look at what you already have so that you can find out what you need to do before you publish.