On July 16, 2002, Amazon launched Amazon.com Web Services, allowing developers to incorporate Amazon.com content and features into their own websites. Amazon.com Web Services (AWS) enabled third-party sites to search and display products from Amazon.com. Product data was made accessible using XML and SOAP protocols.
From day one, the API was integrated with the Amazon.com Affiliate Program, allowing developers to monetize their sites through purchases made at Amazon.com via links from their websites. Internet visionary Tim O'Reilly was quoted in the original Amazon Web Services press release, saying, "This is a significant leap forward in the next-generation programmable internet."
While APIs and Amazon both have roots in e-commerce, APIs were quickly applied to other areas, driving advancements in social media, cloud computing, and, more recently, mobile technology movements.