Slides of the talk given at the API Strategy and Practice conference in Amsterdam in March 2014.

1. Let’s drive business®
The B2B Perspective :: APIs and Services for
Fleet Management

2. APIs and B2B :: Session Agenda
27 March 20142
A Very Brief Introduction ::TomTom Business Solutions and the
WEBFLEET® Fleet Management Platform
APIs for Fleet Management Overview and Drill Down :: API and
Eco-System Details Focusing on the Productized WEBFLEET®
APIs. Highlights on the Specifics of Making APIs in a B2B
environment
The General View:: Useful API Management Features, Eco-
System Benefits, Learnings and Experiences
From Fleet Platform to APIs to Generalizations
@ToralfRichter :: business.tomtom.com

3. The WEBFLEET® Platform :: In a Nutshell
27 March 20143
TomTom Business Solutions Fleet Management
customers
27,000>
hours driving
1.3 M>
9.5 M
liters fuel
>
Data from 31st Oct 2013
50 M
km driving
>
375 M
positions
>
units online
330,000> composed of ~25 application
deployables
engineered by a team of ~20
developers
run in 2 physically separate
data centers, employing ~4
independent Internet uplinks, 2
independent power suppliers,
and various, backup diesels
and batteries
linked to 15+ major mobile
network carriers for
communication with vehicles
integrated with various
TomTom Group and external
APIs
Technical Facts
@ToralfRichter :: business.tomtom.com

4. The Platform that Never Sleeps
WEBFLEET® Installed Base GPS Traces Density Plot (Sept 2013)
27 March 20144 @ToralfRichter :: business.tomtom.com

5. API Portfolio :: Public and Fully Productized
27 March 20145
The WEBFLEET.connect API and LINK.connect Device Interface
● the API projects the platform product
● mostly indirect monetization
● protocol flavors: query-based ReSTish,
SOAP with MTOM
● public API for complete fleet platform
functionality
● resilient, carrier-grade
● free for developers
● mostly free to fleet customers
● projects the product + is the product
● indirect and direct monetization
● technical protocol: Bluetooth® SPP,
multiplexing over same channel
● in-vehicle black box interface for 3rd
party devices
● simple data sink / source
● free for developers
● requires fleet customer to sign-up
The productized APIs and Interfaces are built for distribution and external
exposure, have developer access to open documentation, (semi-) open sign-
up, managed life-cycle and compatibility guarantees. The .connect Partner
Program and App Center help developers to promote their apps and solutions.
WEBFLEET.connect LINK.connect
Open Developer Eco-System :: Build any Operational Fleet Solution you Want
@ToralfRichter :: business.tomtom.com

6. WEBFLEET.connect :: Key Characteristics
27 March 20146
B2B API Patterns that a Week Usage Statistics Demonstrates
Business Tool :: weekly work
load pattern shows continuous
replication work + application
interaction driven work load
during business days and hours
Resilience is Important ::
Spikes (as on 6th in SOAP API)
must not impact the platform or
other customers
Quantity vs. Quality ::
“Carrier Grade” over “Web
Scale”, Real or near time,
business continuity
Protocol Flavors :: SOAP is
not dead, but indeed it is visible
that handling XML introduces a
bit of a slowdown. ReSTish
flavor is more popular, even in
B2B.
@ToralfRichter :: business.tomtom.com

7. A B2B Eco-System :: Characteristics
27 March 20147
External Eco-System around WEBFLEET® Productized APIs
Size :: the partner eco-system of the productized APIs is neither LSUD nor
SSKD, but in in the middle
.connect Partner Program :: hundreds of API partners overall, presently
100+ reaching qualified (i.e. present App Center) or premier status (i.e.
having licensed / deployed their applications to more than 10 fleet customers)
Half-Open :: Sign up is slower than in open consumer APIs
Clientele :: mostly are formalized (small) businesses with one or more
software developers, due to LINK.connect not only pure software but also
hardware and embedded partners
Sharing the Same Customer :: partners on (sometimes) long-term
relationships with the customers they share with TomTom Business Solutions
High-Care :: sales engineers onboard partners, and connect partners and
customers, groom the relationship, very helpful in our specific industry, BUT:
Dunbar‘s number
“B2B Nature” :: often very slow when it comes to adopting certain changes
and accepting life-cycle decisions (esp. removal), compatibility predictable
changes often more valued than agility
@ToralfRichter :: business.tomtom.com

8. Build the Structure :: API Management for B2B
27 March 20148
Recommended Picks from the API Management Menu
“if it is released to GA,
it is bound to stay”
patience and a lot of
outbound communication
customers and partners
ask for continuity
Life Cycle Management
give some control of
behavior to developers
free / reduced price try-
out solution
accept who they are -
this is why we kept SOAP
Developer Appreciation
we tried both (add
versions, stay compatible)
overhead + cost of many
versions
“compatible evolution”
is the better strategy
Versioning / Compatibility
transform certain
“morphology aspects”
generalize as much as
possible and specialize
as little as necessary
Example: UBI.connect
Orchestration Layer
stated fair use policy
rate shaping and quota
system
sign terms & conditions
recording, statistics
Platform Protection
SSL (only) is a must
IP white / black-listing,
time control on credentials
credentials + API Key
BUT: OAuth is not common
Authentication + Security
@ToralfRichter :: business.tomtom.com

9. In Retrospect :: Learnings and Experiences
27 March 20149
Good-Humored Hints for API Makers
“Generalize till it Hurts, Specialize till it Works”
Accept non-ReST API styles, as e.g. Query-Based and even SOAP has a point
for certain cases
Try to be wise about your life-cycle choices. Make a careful picks regarding
“Versioning” vs. “Compatible Evolution”. Think thoroughly before releasing
anything to GA. You will have to support it.
API Engineers
Accept “Emergent Strategy”. Up-front big design has proven many times it
can fail too
More than the fair share of Novelty Pains hit you if your product or service is
relatively new to the market and requires explanation about its general nature
Be aware of the liability situation when sharing the same customer with your
partners and developers.
API Strategists and Eco-System Managers

10. Any questions?
TomTom Business Solutions :: business.tomtom.com || Toralf Richter :: @ToralfRichter
AppCenter :: integration.business.tomtom.com