????讓我們先聚焦其中一個行業：醫療衛生業。這是一個在很大程度上與互聯網時代脫節的行業。由于大量的政府管制，它所采用的信息技術早已過時。正是在這些地方，API能幫助這個行業用上更為先進的醫療技術。

????比如CareCloud（這是我們投資的另一個項目）就能充當醫生、病人、病歷庫、化驗室和其他主要醫療衛生利益相關者之間的數字聯系橋梁。CareCloud的自動化進程能簡化辦公流程，削減間接管理費用，同時改善對病人的治療。

????有一個應用能讓病人在醫院下班時間更改就診預約，重新選擇時間。另一個應用能讓醫生第一時間知道病人已經到達化驗室準備檢查了；化驗剛做好它就能讓病人知道結果，并自動將結果填到表格里去，同時還能通過手機提醒病人進行復診預約。病人甚至還能讓這類服務的供應商把病歷存到自己的Box賬戶中去。

????有了這種自動化工具，醫生可以更快結束自己的臨床工作流程，病人也能更好地了解自己的健康信息。我們不妨把它和傳統的基于紙張的流程做個比較。那時候案頭工作往往堆積成山，病人要跟蹤了解自己的健康信息也要花更多時間。

????借助API，醫療設備也更加智能。比如OrthoSensor這家公司，它制造的傳感器能持續監控整形移植物的情況，一旦發生問題就能立即遠程報告。這些信息能實時傳送給醫生和其他專業醫療人員，從而改善術后護理，便于及早介入治療，并有助于實現更有針對性的康復。

????關注平臺，而非產品

????我們這個地球正在快速變成一個可編程的世界。到2025年，地球上將有25萬億臺相互連接的設備。它們能和智能手機互通信息，也能彼此溝通。這就為整個信息技術產業帶來了一個巨大的機遇，有望創建一個數字生態系統。

????它同樣對各個企業也提出了新的要求，因為它們能否存活下去就要全靠數字戰略了。各行各業都必須讓各種應用成為自己業務的核心，并運用它們來滿足客戶的真實需求。各種消費者應用已讓人們的期望值水漲船高，有鑒于此，如果還抱著老一套的產品戰略，注定要一敗涂地。

????正像當年的互聯網革命席卷一切一樣，企業現在必須學會擁抱這個可編程的世界——否則就將無路可走。

????本文作者普羅莫德?漢克是西北風險投資公司的高級合伙人。本文最初發表于NVP博客。（財富中文網）

????譯者：清遠??

????Let's focus on one: Healthcare, a largely disconnected industry with outdated information technology that is struggling with a huge government-mandated disruption. Here, APIs are enabling more advanced healthcare technologies.

????For example, CareCloud (another one of ours), which serves as the digital connective tissue between physicians, patients, medical records depositories, labs and other key healthcare stakeholders. CareCloud's automation streamlines office processes, reducing administrative overhead while improving patient care.

????One app lets patients change their appointment after-hours and select an alternative slot. Other apps let your doctor know in real time that you showed up at a lab for your prescribed test; display the results as soon as the test is done; auto-populate them into your chart; and alert you via your mobile phone to schedule a follow-up appointment with your doctor. You can even have your provider store your medical records in your own Box account.

????With such automation, doctors can close the clinical loops of their workflow much more quickly, and patients are more connected to their health information. Compare this to traditional paper-based processes, where work piles up, and customers spend far too much time tracking down their health information.

????APIs are also enabling more intelligent medical devices. For example, OrthoSensor makes sensors that constantly monitor the performance of orthopedic implants and report remotely on any problems. This information, which can be passed on in real time to doctors and other healthcare professionals, improves post-operative care, enables earlier intervention and facilitates more targeted rehabilitation.

????Platforms, not products

????We are rapidly becoming a programmable world. By 2025, the earth will contain more than 25 trillion connected devices that can communicate with smartphones and each other. This creates a major opportunity for entire industries to build digital ecosystems.

????It is also a mandate for individual businesses, because their very survival now depends on a digital strategy. Businesses must make apps central to their operations, and use them to solve real customer needs. Consumer apps have heightened human expectations, and playing the old product game is a recipe for failure.

????As with the Internet revolution, businesses must embrace the programmable world -- or die.

????Promod Haque (@promodhaque) is a senior managing partner with Norwest Venture Partners (NVP). This post originally appeared on the NVP blog.