Applying Goal Modeling to API Ecosystems: A Cross-Company Case Study

Abstract: APIs play a major role in software ecosystems and must continuously evolve to meet the demands of these ecosystems. In this paper we identify a new ecosystem around each API within software ecosystems and apply goal modeling to map such ecosystem. The authors collaborated with two software intense companies in a cross-case study. The outcome of this research was that by visualizing the relations between the actors within the API ecosystem, companies can better understand the ecosystem. An API ecosystem can be challenging to model and it is recommended that the mapping is done by an individual with experience in goal modeling. However, both, the modeling process and the mapped API ecosystem provide analytical benefits for an organization.