In the ever-changing world of technology, data access and usage is arguably the topic of the year. Businesses are only scratching the surface of the value they can create by properly using data to benefit consumers, and the pace of progress forward is expected to be swift. Using data as a business tool often involves using the Application Programming Interface (API) of technology providers to “push” data into the system, “pull” data out of it, or often, both. This allows the data to be used by your business, or more commonly by a third party, to create an ancillary product or streamline an existing business process – for example, to push ride information into QuickBooks, or to pull reservation details from a mobile app into your reservation and dispatch system.

For Limo Anywhere and other technology providers, offering API access is a crucial piece of the value proposition. But this access does not come without obligations, and significant ones regarding legal and technical frameworks as well as data privacy and security.

As such, Limo Anywhere is announcing several changes to our API and our policies, which will come into effect gradually over the next 12 months.

1) All partners using the Limo Anywhere API, existing and future, will be immediately subject to our API License Agreement, posted here: http://limoanywhere.com/apitermsofservice. This agreement contains standard legal protections for both Limo Anywhere and our customers, ensuring API partners are working with Limo Anywhere and with our customers in a responsible manner.

2) Limo Anywhere is announcing a progressive upgrade of our API, with a new version to be introduced gradually throughout 2015. This version will have significantly enhanced functionality from the current version, providing access to additional data points and streamlining the process of working with Limo Anywhere.

3) Concurrent with the release of our upgraded API, we will ask all third parties to certify with Limo Anywhere, ensuring only properly screened partners have access to our API. We will be conducting a full migration to the new API in 2015, ensuring all partners integrating with us are certified and approved.

In the ground transportation industry, duty-of-care is an accepted topic. Corporate clients want to know what their service providers are doing to ensure employees are safe, including questions around proper insurance, licensing, driver background screening, fleet quality, and more. For years, duty-of-care has been a major part of the business, and no one questions its value. The path to standardized duty-of-care obligations around APIs is a long one, and we’re only at the beginning of the journey. But we believe this is a great first step, and we are happy to be a market leader in protecting our customers’ interests while still providing high-quality access to the data and functionality that our customers need to grow their businesses.

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