Why enterprises should care about API Management Platforms?

There is lot being said about API Management platforms of late and how these can benefit organizations. With big corporate giants engaging in use of API platforms, you will probably start wondering about whether such a source is really worth investing in? This blog will outline important challenges faced by businesses and how the API Management platforms can be of help to tackle issues.

Primarily, looking at some aspects such as proliferation of initiatives like Big Data and IoT (Internet of Things) that are connectivity-driven have led enterprises to use APIs for tackling concerned issues. A secure and efficient API design will render a strong foundation for such efforts and help understand what some of the latest and advanced API platforms can achieve. Administrators of your IT interface along with senior management will know about features that can act as a support system for their enterprise and what will prove beneficial in the near future.

Let us now look at some of the challenges or changes happening and how businesses are facing them, before getting into solutions that APIs can render for leveraging these options.

Opportunities galore created by boom in Data
Many surveys have been done with regards to Data and all prove the fact that enterprises usually store data in terabytes and this information is set to grow in the coming years. Companies that are smart will very efficiently exploit this information or data for reinventing customer interactions, along with communications with partners or suppliers. They will be provided with newer routes for exploiting the market and at the same time reduce costs and eventually drive revenue.

Consumer expectations are changing at high speed due to mobile usage
No one will argue this fact that mobile usage is witnessing a dramatic growth globally. The definite impact of this high rise has led to data consumers expecting access at any given time and across varied devices. All this hoopla means that mobile integration has become extremely vital for enterprises; both internally as well as externally. Enterprises can no longer be reliant just on their websites when competition in the market is leveraging various communications channels and eating up customers.

Corporate houses are seen wanting for meeting customer demands
IT departments in corporate houses are struggling in order to meet expectations and demands of business for supporting applications across a plethora of operating systems and hardware that include mobiles. In some cases, these departments also need to integrate utility meters and medical equipment that generate and consume data. You cannot expect your IT department to deliver more and more continually and still keep achieving expected speed and quality.

So how does the top management address these concerns or how do they grab opportunities that are awaiting them? Well the answer to this is API management platforms. But again, there are certain aspects that need consideration before jumping to solutions.

APIs help to leverage external communities for development
APIs basically are programmed interfaces that have the capability of exposing data assets like prices, availability and products. Developers; both external and internal can utilize these APIs for creation of applications or websites.

To explain with an example, if some insurance company uses some API for getting quotes, developers can write some application for quote comparison with the use of this API coupled with APIs used by other insurance companies. Similarly, this concept will be applicable for comparison of product prices in banking or retail industries. Companies also have the option of charging others for using their API and thus generate additional revenue.

API exposure can present challenges and risks
If some enterprise decides exposing data via APIs, they need to first consider some questions as listed below.

• What are the resources and skills required for creation of any API?
• How companies can update or release APIs quickly?
• How can you aggregate API data for different systems in back-end?
• How can you securely provide access to API data?
• How to ensure API scale?
• How to analyze usage of API?
• How to promote your API to developers externally?
• How to publish documentation of API for developers?

The solution to all this is API management platform
Businesses need to utilize API management platforms for first creating and then maintaining their API, integrate data and ensure performance and security. This extra ordinary solution will also render analytics for providing your business statistics about the number of calls the API receives and that too from the exact app. The platform will allow enterprises to promote their API for energizing development communities for creation of innovative and useful apps that are fueled by the data you possess.

So which is the right API management platform for you?
This question can be tackled according to varied needs. Usually, administrators are often found balancing security and scale. The two challenges together present the definite need for some robust feature. So when hunting for an API management platform, finding something which can be self-serviced by developers by a simple login is necessary. Deployment of correct features without any delay will display the difference amongst failure or success for your API.

When we consider mobile applications for consumers, or also your employees or partners, you will require a RESTful API solution that will render run-time and design time access to all the data services you host across applications on-premise. This will ensure that you get to the crux of complexity, breadth and number for the APIs to be first built and then operated. Remember that with innovative and interesting applications being built for mobiles, integrating these will need equally robust solutions. So your RESTful interface renders you means and you should be capable of handling the number, complexity and breadth of APIs that are built.

After reading this, you might have definitely given a slight thought of exposing your data via API, haven’t you? If yes, then do you wish to further discuss about this topic in depth? Well, you can connect with us and allow us the privilege to guide you through this process.

Shailee Parikh

I am a marketing enthusiast, who likes to try out disruptive ideas and deliver them effortlessly. Reading and writing about innovation, technology and startups interests me.