David Berlind, a veteran news editor, has joined Programmable Web, the editorial and API database that became a core source for developers to build apps for web, mobile and, increasingly, everything else connected by code and applications.
Berlind has 20 years of experience as a technology journalist and executive. In his most recent job, he was the chief content officer at UBM TechWeb where he helped to manage the editorial direction of InformationWeek, BYTE, Network Computing and the developer-focused Dr. Dobbs. Previously, Berlind was the editor-in-chief at Windows Source, the editorial director at Computer Shopper, and executive editor at CNET.
It’s the first major news for Programmable Web since it was acquired by data integration provider Mulesoft earlier this year.
Berlind’s hire does give merit to the promise by Mulesoft executives that Programmable Web’s future as an independent news source will remain unchanged.
Mulesoft also has intentions of integrating the Programmable Web API database more directly into its offerings to provide what it calls a GitHub for APIs that will integrate its APIhub with Programmable Web’s API database and editorial focus on the correlating market space. The hub will serve as a place for developers to get support when integrating APIs. Developers will collaborate on the APIs, similarly to the way a service like GitHub works.
The larger goal is to help companies connect its legacy, on-premise systems to third-party services and platforms. Companies need to get their data out into the market. APIhub with Programmable Web will help accomplish that.
Berlind has an opportunity to carry forward one of the great tech blogs of the past 10 years. It has always proven an important source for my own research and I expect it to continue to be so under Berlind’s direction.