What are APIs and the applications that utilize it?

What is an API?

n API is a set of programming codes that allows data to be exchanged between two or more software products. The terms of the data exchange are also included. The software that needs to access information or functionality from another software uses its API, which specifies the functionality that must be given.

How do APIs work?

APIs allow your product or service to interact with other products and services without requiring you to understand how they’re built. This can reduce the time and cost of app development. APIs enable flexibility, simplify design, administration, and use, and create chances for innovation when developing new tools and products—or managing current ones.

APIs are often compared to contracts, including documentation that serves as evidence of a deal between two parties: Party 2’s software will respond in this way if party 1 submits a remote request organized in a specific way.

However, not all APIs are created equal. Developers can use a variety of API types, protocols, and architectures to meet the specific requirements of various applications and enterprises.

Type of APIs

Public APIs

Any outside developer or business can utilize a public API because it is open and available. A company that develops and offers a public API will have a business model that includes sharing its applications and data with other companies.

Authentication and authorization are usually moderate in public APIs. An organization may also try to monetize the API by charging a per-call fee to use the public API.

Partner APIs

A partner API is a tool for facilitating business-to-business transactions that is only available to a small group of outside developers or API consumers. For example, if a company wishes to share customer data selectively with outside CRM businesses, it can utilize a partner API to connect the internal customer data system with those external partners — no other API use is allowed.

Access to such APIs is limited to partners with specific permissions and licenses. As a result, partner APIs typically include more robust authentication, authorization, and security features. In addition, most businesses do not directly monetize APIs; rather, partners are compensated for their services, not for API usage.

Internal APIs

An internal API is exclusively meant for use within the company to link systems and data. An internal API, for example, might link an organization’s payroll and HR systems.

Since internal APIs are meant for internal usage, and such security levels are presumed to be in place through other policies, they typically have minimal security and authentication — or none. This is changing, however, as organizations’ API strategies are more influenced by increased threat awareness and regulatory compliance requirements.

Composite APIs

Composite APIs are made up of two or more APIs that work together to create a series of connected or interdependent activities. Composite APIs can be useful for addressing complex or closely linked API behaviors, and they can occasionally outperform individual APIs in terms of speed and performance.

Examples of APIs

Google Maps

It’s no secret that Google is one of the world’s most powerful technology firms, and they’ve set the bar for how other businesses should function. The Google Maps APIs are used by most websites that feature a built-in map. Google’s Directions API, for example, returns XML or JSON-formatted directions between geolocations using an HTTP request.

Skyscanner Flight Search

Skyscanner is a metasearch tool that allows travelers to search Skyscanner’s database of prices for the cheapest airline deals. Skyscanner also provides a RESTful API to its affiliate partners that support both XML and JSON as data exchange formats. They encourage partners to make requests using just the HTTPS protocol to boost security. Their documentation can be found here.

Weather API

This is a free geolocation and weather information provider offering a variety of APIs, including weather forecasts, IP lookups, sports, astronomy, geolocation, and time zone information. Using a JSON/XML RESTful API, gives users access to geodata and weather. To use the API, developers can use HTTP or HTTPS. They give comprehensive documentation for all their APIs to developers.

Our API Platform – The ADL – AXP

Delivering the next generation digital solutions today as always, Axiata Digital Labs increases what can be accomplished through API management and microservices. Mobile Network Operators can use the AXP platform to optimize current infrastructure, develop new revenue sources, and stay relevant in the modern era, enjoying the competitive advantage.

The powerful, versatile API management platform may be hosted on cloud or telco premises, allowing operators to publish their APIs swiftly and efficiently (such as USSD, SMS, Direct Operator Billing) to developers and companies. ADL’s AXP platform is built on the award-winning WSO2 open-source stack. Hubs and gateways powered by AXP can interconnect, allowing firms from all over the world to reach a participating MNO’s consumer base more effectively.

When we approach APIs not only from the perspective of software development but also from the perspective of business collaboration, they play a far larger role. These resource-exchange machine-readable interfaces are similar to delivery services that operate behind the scenes and provide the necessary technological connectivity. According to the Fourth State of API Integration Report, API integration is “essential” to 83 percent of participants’ businesses and IT infrastructures.

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