Application programming interfaces, or simply APIs, are the way that desktop, web, mobile, device, and artificial intelligence share data and other digital resources and capabilities. According to Akamai, 83% of web traffic is API traffic. Our personal and professional lives are powered by APIs, and APIs are what drives market forces in the first part of this century.
APIs have been around as long as compute, but when you hear API in today’s online business world it is almost always referring to HTTP APIs. Instead of returning HTML like the Web, HTTP APIs return JSON data for use in other applications. APIs allow us to message each other, make payments, and the hundreds of other business tasks we accomplish online each day. APIs are like electricity, water, and other utilities, but more universal and digital.
The more you know about APIs, the more control you will have in your personal and professional life. In today’s economy, you are either above the API line, or below the API line. APIs are how you innovate and stay ahead as a business, and mange your digital supply chain, factory floor, and distribution channels. APIs are the new products your company delivers and evolves, satisfying the needs your internal teams have, but also your partners, and the end-users of your applications.
API governance in 2024 is enterprise governance. APIs define what you are capable of. Having an API strategy, and teams are well-versed in delivering HTTP APIs are how you do business today. A significant portion of your enterprise operations is being defined by the production and consumption of internal, 1st-party or 3rd-party APIs. It is essential that you have a handle on your API operations, are properly investing in your API platform, and are able to rapidly deliver high-quality easy-to-use HTTP APIs to remain competition in the increasingly volatile digital business landscape.