Convio is announcing the launch of their API and open platform, called Open. They join Kintera and the gold standard of open API’s Salesforce.com in allowing outside developers to tap into their data and extend the functionality of their applications.

How is this useful?

Imagine you run one program for your main donor database and another program for your email and online data. Until recently, the main way to deal with this was cumbersome import and export of data from one system to another. With an API, you can write new software code that hooks one application into another. Or, more likely, you can use code developed by a third-party that does what you need.

Convio’s system is looking really cool. And in addition to the typical API, they also announced a Facebook application builder. This will let an organization create a Facebook application by tapping into the functionality and content they are already using with Convio. I will learn more about this this week when I attend the Convio user group meeting in Austin.

In the meantime, read the terrific write-up about this from Michelle Murrain at her blog Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology.