DreamFactory Deploying APIs In Docker Containers Is How The API Economy Will Scale

I have been talking about virtualized API stacks for a while now, slowly evolving my own view of whats next for the world of APIs, based upon what I'm seeing happen across the sector. I am working hard to convert my own master stack of APIs, in 25+ separate container driven APIs, which I can then orchestrate into other collections for my own use, as well as the needs of my partners, and wholesale API clients. 

The post Running DreamFactory as a Docker Containers came across my monitors this weekend, which for me is a sign we are getting closer to a version of the API economy that I think will actually scale. The days where you launch one API platform, with one or many APIs, and you only sell that service via a single platform domain, have peaked. The technology, business, and politics of your API operations will have to be flexible enough to be deployed anywhere, by any partner you wish to give access, in a way that maximizes the same innovation we've seen popularize the API movement.

As John Sheehan (@johnsheehan) of Runscope says: Containers will do for APIs, what API have done for businesses over the last 15 years.

In 2015 all your APIs need to be modular, and containerized using common approaches like Docker, alowing your API infrastructure to be deploy-able anywhere, anytime. Hopefully by now you have your API management and service composition house in order, and the business of your APIs can also scale to meet this new, containerized landscape. If you are worried about discovery in all of this, you better start talking to me about APIs.json, and making sure you use a common API definition formats like Swagger or API Blueprint across all of your APIs.

Just like the early API providers like SalesForce, Amazon, and Twilio were able to out-innovate, and out-maneuver their business competitors using APIs in the last decade, companies who can containerize the approach to their API deployment and management like DreamFactory brings to the table, will realize entirely new levels of agility, and flexibility--in a time when you really, really, really need any competitive advantage you can to stay relevant.