API Management

APIs 101: From Zero to Hero

In the digital world, one of the most common words that’s tossed around is “API”. Most people know that APIs are used to request and exchange information from applications but there’s more to APIs. Continue reading further as this APIs 101 where you’ll go from zero to hero. 

Let’s get started with APIs 101! API stands for Application Programming Interface. This set of rules, protocols, and tools opens up digital possibilities as it enables all kinds of software applications to communicate and share data or functionality without the user having to interact with the backend systems. As developers are able to access these information or functionalities, APIs then facilitate the development of new applications, services, and even more functionalities. There are all kinds of APIs for social media, payment gateways, cloud services, mapping and location, the weather, and more.

Evolution of API Management Platforms

So how did API management platforms emerge in the first place? During the early days of API, organizations mostly used them internally such as  integrating different systems and applications within their own infrastructure. Developers usually built their own APIs they managed themselves also without any particular platforms or tools set in place. With both the internet expanding and businesses digitizing, external APIs came to be. External APIs are APIs that companies expose to the public that can be used by developers, partners, and third-party applications enabling them to integrate it with their own systems. With the proliferation of APIs and exposing these outside for others to use, these organizations realized that they needed better management, security, and governance of their API ecosystems. Some of the challenges that they encountered were API versioning, access control, rate limiting, analytics, and documentation. In response to these challenges, the first API management platforms began to emerge in the early 2000s. These platforms offered comprehensive solutions for managing the entire API lifecycle, from design and development to deployment, monitoring, and monetization. 

Benefits of API Management

In the term itself, API Management platforms play a role in managing one’s API ecosystems. But aside from that, managing APIs has many more benefits.

1. One benefit of having your APIs managed would be a unified developer experience. Instead of developers experiencing inconsistent documentation, scattered resources, and difficulty collaborating with others, they can find everything they need in one centralized platform. This unified approach streamlines the onboarding process for new developers and enhances collaboration among team members, resulting in a cohesive developer experience.
2. Another benefit would be the ability to enforce strict access controls to limit API access to authorized users and applications, ensuring strict adherence to legal and regulatory requirements. Access controls ensure that sensitive data exposed through APIs is only accessible to authorized users and applications. At the same time, many industries have to follow strict regulations and compliance requirements regarding data privacy, security, and governance. Enforcing access controls helps them mitigate the risk of non-compliance and potential legal repercussions.
3. API Management Platforms allow users to make data-driven decisions through detailed reports on key API metrics usage and errors to help them understand the health and performance of their APIs.
4. Consistent governance is another benefit, as developers are ensured that they have unified control over their API inventory through a centralized platform by implementing consistent policies for authorization and abuse prevention.
5. Users can also control the flow of incoming requests and maintain overall system stability through the API Gateway.
6. Finally, businesses can explore additional revenue streams by monetizing their APIs and reaching diverse customer segments through seamless exposure to partners and third-party businesses.

Maximizing Business Efficiency and Collaboration with Modern API Management Platforms

APIs have indeed come a long way, and management platforms are continuing to modernize, offering different capabilities to make the experience for developers and businesses more efficient and collaborative. The main emphasis for businesses to adopt API management lies in its ability to streamline development processes, ensure security and compliance, optimize performance, provide valuable insights, unlock monetization opportunities, and foster integration and interoperability in a rapidly evolving market landscape. With this in mind, it’s best for enterprises to understand APIs 101 and utilize API management platforms to maximize their existing APIs and interactions with third-party services.

Unlocking the Power of APIs with Exist: Your Premier API Management Partner in the Philippines

Here at Exist, we offer API Management Consulting and Implementation Services in the Philippines. What sets us apart is our team of API implementation engineers, who have collectively developed over 1,000 APIs for enterprises. We collaborate with leading API Management Platform providers and utilize a versatile toolset to leverage various API management tools and platforms. You can rest assured that our services are cost-effective, providing end-to-end solutions. If you want to unlock the full potential of your APIs on a unified platform and fully immerse yourself in APIs 101, contact us for a consultation today!

Click here to know more about our API Management Philippines Consultation and Implementation Services!