Every day nonprofits deal with software systems that don't talk to each other or work together. They spend time and money on systems that aren't integrated. They're hampered by the inability to extract needed information from a given tool and resort to entering the information several times in different systems.

We here at NTEN see the gaps in getting relevant information to the right people at the right time. The good news is that a lot of people are talking about this problem and how it can be fixed. One possible solution to this universal headache, and an issue we've talked about before here and here, is APIs - application program interfaces. When made available to other software developers, APIs make it possible for different software platforms to sync up and talk to each other. The good news is that a lot of people are talking about data and systems integrations more than ever. One possible solution to this universal headache, and an issue we've talked about before here and here, is APIs - application program interfaces. When made available to other software developers, APIs make it possible for different software platforms to sync up and talk to each other.

Today we released a report that looks at data integration in the nonprofit sector and APIs' potential role in solving it. The report, Let's Talk: How Open APIs Can Change How Nonprofits Manage Data, explains what APIs are and the technologies behind them and why APIs should be important to nonprofits, and presents data from an informal survey of CRM software vendors about their respective APIs.

But APIs aren't the only shifting factor in nonprofit software these days. Many nonprofits will be affected by the merger of two large software providers, Convio and GetActive, and we know that many of you want to know how this will affect you. Today we're hosting a call with top representatives from both companies to give you the opportunity to ask your questions. Join us for the call at 11:00 am PT and for the online chat following the discussion.

And if you're thinking of switching to new software platforms or just want to explore your options, we're hosting a webinar on Thursday, February 15, that will examine several different software platforms, weigh the pros and cons of each, and bring in the opinions of nonprofits who have used them.

The future of software may be always changing, but you don't have to be in the dark about it.