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RFP Template – Assistance in Choosing an API Solution Partner

By Alan Glickenhouse posted Mon March 20, 2017 09:00 AM

  
There are many factors that go into selecting a partner that can help you succeed in an API initiative.  Many of course are related to the API Management platform, ensuring it is full function, secure, and so on.  Other factors are related to the vendor experience, knowledge of your industry, and the ability to help implement and educate.



IBM has been providing an API Management solution and related consulting and implementation assistance for many years.  IDC recently recognized IBMs growth in market share and year to year growth rate in their report, “Worldwide API Management Market Shares, 2015: Year of Consolidation”, published September 2016 (click here to download their report).  As such, IBM is seeing and responding to many RFPs in the API Management area.

Many businesses considering an API solution are looking for help in understanding what a complete API management product might look like.   But they also want to consider what to look for in the partner they choose to supply the API Management product ensuring that the product meets their current and future needs, and also that the vendor partner can provide the assistance to help ensure their success.  To assist your efforts, IBM is supplying a template that you can use to help formulate your RFP.

You can download the RFP template here.

In this you will find sections covering:

  • Vendor experience

  • Deployment, Architecture and Administration

  • API / Microservices creation and deployment

  • API Security, Traffic Management & Mediation (API Gateway)

  • API Management & Analytics

  • API Socialization (Developer Portal)

  • Security

  • Training and Support


 

Defining your requirements can be challenging.  We are hoping that by providing this template we can shorten and simplify your efforts in defining your RFP by considering what we have seen requested by other clients.  Of course, this is just a template and you are free to choose what you like from this and add any other criteria you believe are also important to your selection process.

To understand more about IBM’s thoughts on the API Economy visit the IBM API Economy website.  IBM API Connect is IBM’s complete foundation to Create, Run, Manage, and Secure APIs.  You can find more information about IBM API Connect at the API Connect website.  And you can also experience a trial version of API Connect.

 

If you have questions, please let me know.  Connect with me through comments here or via twitter @Arglick to continue the discussion.













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Sat January 28, 2023 03:29 AM

The link to RFP template is broken

Mon February 01, 2021 01:02 AM

The link to RFP template is broken