---
layout: post
title: History of APIs - Amazon E-Commerce
image: >-
  http://kinlane-productions2.s3.amazonaws.com/amazon/Amazon-Web-Services-News-Release.png
author:
  name: kinlane
tags:
  - Commerce
  - Amazon
  - History
  - APIs
---
[Amazon.com Web Services (AWS)](http://aws.amazon.com/) allowed third party sites to search and display products from Amazon.com. Product data was made accessible using XML and SOAP.

From day one the API was integrated with the [Amazon.com Affiliate Program](https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/), allowing developers to monetize their sites through purchases made at [Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com) via links from their web sites.

Internet visionary Tim O'Reilly was quoted in original Amazon Web Services press release saying, "This is a significant leap forward in the next-generation programmable internet."

APIs and Amazon both have roots in e-commerce, but APIs were quickly applied to other areas resulting in the social media, cloud computing and now the mobile technology movements.