Google Cloud Endpoints consists of tools, libraries and capabilities that allow you to generate APIs and client libraries from an App Engine application, referred to as an API backend, to simplify client access to data from other applications. Endpoints makes it easier to create a web backend for web clients and mobile clients such as Android or Apple's iOS. Note: The API backend for Endpoints should not be confused with App Engine backends. They are two different things. For mobile developers, Endpoints provides a simple way to develop a shared web backend and also provides critical infrastructures, such as OAuth 2.0 authentication, eliminating a great deal of work that would otherwise be needed. Furthermore, because the API backend is an App Engine app, the mobile developer can use all of the services and features available in App Engine, such as Datastore, Google Cloud Storage, Mail, Url Fetch, Task Queues, and so forth. And finally, by using App Engine for the backend, developers are freed from system admin work, load balancing, scaling, and server maintenance. It is possible to create mobile clients for App Engine backends without Endpoints. However, using Endpoints makes this process easier because it frees you from having to write wrappers to handle communication with App Engine. The client libraries generated by Endpoints allow you to simply make direct API calls. https://developers.google.com/appengine/docs/java/endpoints/ Can the Buzztouch gurus translate this to newbie speak? I get the gist of it - and the importance - but I'm lost in the details. Thank you!

Sounds interesting. I wonder if PSMDanny would be able to shed some insight.