Nielsen, the media-measurement juggernaut, announced that it is opening up its API for the first time. Nielsen made the announcement alongside many other groundbreaking launches and promotions as SXSW continues to heat up. With coverage in more than 100 countries, Nielsen maintains a treasure trove of data that developers have long been eager to get their hands on. With the API release, developers can begin to build applications directly off data that is generated and maintained by Nielsen.

Announcing its API was just one of Nielsen's many moments in the SXSW spotlight. This year, Nielsen sent its music and gaming experts along with COO Mitchell Habib to participate in three different presentations. Michael Flamberg, VP of Nielsen Games, joined a panel of experts to discuss gaming trends and effective branding strategies within games. Habib presented on emerging markets. Finally, Nielsen's music experts sat on a panel that explored the evolving music industry and how different delivery models interact and continue to drive change.

Nielsen lives and breathes data. The company is dedicated to providing users with the most relevant, up-to-date data about media markets across the world. Behind the scenes, Nielsen has long utilized its vast API suite internally. While we await more details on the open Nielsen API, developers should start to consider what can be built, added, and discovered with the data that has long assisted companies with market movement and consumer interaction.