Alcatel-Lucent launched a new consulting and professional services business, intended to help operators “create new revenue opportunities” through the exposure of APIs to developers.

The infrastructure vendor said that by strategically creating APIs which provide access to technology assets and content within networks, service providers can promote the development of applications that support a range of goals, including creating new revenue opportunities, improving operations, and enhancing the customer experience.

However, Laura Merling, SVP of application enablement for the company, noted that “launching and supporting a dynamic API strategy is not easy – these programmes need to be monitored, nurtured and directed as they evolve over time”. She continued: “Operators need to offer a program that lowers the barrier to entry for developers and creates a more supportive environment. Our methodology and related services are designed to address the pain points affecting developers when designing, implementing and integrating APIs.”

Alcatel-Lucent said it will support a proven lifecycle methodology for APIs, providing operators with expertise and technology to streamline the creation, deployment and management of network-based services.

A number of operators are already working to offer access to APIs, for example with Telefonica Digital partnering with Apigee to this end, and AT&T looking to extend its APIs to HTML5 developers.