API integration is crucial for connecting multiple applications, facilitating the exchange of information, and managing workflows across various departments and levels within an organization. Doing so enables the synchronization of information and enhances efficiency and profitability.
APIs are omnipresent in the digital world and provide a stable and high-performance interface for websites, software, and other web-based systems, regardless of the company's size. However, achieving automated processes and optimal operation of all procedures interacting with data requires careful consideration of certain requirements. This is where the significance of integrating API comes into play.
Why do I Need API Integration?
Briefly, the meaning of API is that it enables applications to automatically synchronize and modify data without requiring human intervention. Developers establish a connection between multiple tools using APIs, enabling the entire system to be automated.
Given the proliferation of cloud products and applications in today's landscape, the importance of API integration cannot be ignored. Organizations must establish a system that can automatically transmit information across various software tools, a feat made possible through APIs. This fosters flexibility and simplifies the management of content on websites or within applications.
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Get a Free ConsultationSteps to Achieve API Integration
There are various techniques available for achieving API integration, with the choice often depending on the specific needs of a company or ecosystem:
- Custom integrations: These are tailored to order and involve the creation of a handwritten script by software developers with knowledge of API documentation. While still popular, this method can be expensive and time-consuming to integrate API correctly.
- Application connectors: This method facilitates information transfer between a pair of software products. By using this cost-effective method, the rollout of traditional API solutions can be accelerated, thereby simplifying management and maintenance and reducing the need for API management.
- API integration platforms: These platforms often feature SaaS software for developing API integrations and enabling connectivity to other software and SaaS systems. They provide users with flexibility, allowing them to form their own applications for integration using various tools.
To select the most appropriate API integration tool, it is essential to evaluate business goals and processes to identify problem points and understand how integration can help solve these problems. Seeking support from software analysts and administrators is advisable. Once a tool is chosen, the next steps involve developing and creating an application that can work with the platform API to solve specific goals, followed by conducting testing within the system.
While we will discuss the best tools for API management and testing later, it's important to note the advantages of API integration, which include streamlined workflows, increased efficiency, improved synchronization of information, and enhanced profitability.
The Main Advantages of API Integration
API integration offers numerous advantages, including some of the most notable and significant ones that any business or company can benefit from:
- Automation: Integration enables the automatic transfer of data from one software to another, reducing human labor, saving time, and significantly reducing the number of errors.
- Scalability: By adding capabilities, organizations can grow without having to start from scratch when creating connected applications.
- Optimization: API integration provides complete visibility of operations, positively impacting interaction and reporting. With optimization, managers can easily monitor and control data and generate reliable reports.
- Minimization of errors: Integration helps to communicate complex and massive data, reducing the likelihood of errors or inconsistencies.
API integration offers numerous advantages to help businesses streamline their workflows, reduce errors, and enhance scalability and optimization.
Top 5 API Management Tools
Take a look at this list of the top API management tools.
Apigee
Apigee is a cost-effective option suitable for a partner, cloud, consumer applications, recording systems, IoT, and software developed exclusively for company employees. With Apigee, users can create, protect, evaluate, and extend APIs from anywhere, using a software solution that offers key features like:
- Proxy or agent-based delivery of desired results (responses)
- Easy shaping of new cloud software for developers
- Hassle-free creation and distribution of software by creators
- Built-in analytics tool for tracking and measurement of API traffic data, with KPI measurements
- Full control of APIs and monitoring of the entire workflow
Apigee is an excellent choice for businesses looking for a comprehensive API management solution.
AG Software
By Gartner, it is a promising control platform for 2023 due to its robust integration with API infrastructure and appealing design.
- Enables access to multiple API standards simultaneously.
- Provides complete monitoring of the API lifecycle.
- Offers 100% site customization for developers.
- Includes a secure gateway for analytics, allowing for scalable and adaptable APIs.
This platform is worth considering for businesses seeking an effective API management solution.
Mulesoft
This API management tool is ideal for administration and application bundling. It is highly effective in creating APIs and provides a comprehensive guide for building a network of applications from scratch. Its key parameters include:
- A unified API platform.
- Formation of a community that enables collaboration and support with other experts.
This tool is a great option for businesses looking to streamline their API development process and foster collaboration among developers.
Axway
This software enables cloud data warehouse integration, facilitating content work, software creation, and API administration. Key features of this software include:
- API trend analytics.
- A comprehensive development guide.
This software is a valuable tool for businesses seeking to integrate cloud data warehouses and streamline their content work, software creation, and API administration processes.
WSO2
WSO2 is a cloud-based and on-premise tool for API management, which translates to "oxygenation of web resources". It is an open-source platform that allows for complete lifecycle control, with additional solutions for monetization and administration.
Some of its distinguishing characteristics include:
- Monetization options, provide developers with an additional source of income from the platform.
- API traffic control and protection against potential threats.
- Analytics software for measuring and monitoring results.
WSO2 is a powerful tool for businesses seeking to manage their APIs effectively and maximize revenue potential through monetization.
Top 5 Open-source API Management Tools
Open-source API management tools have become a standard for deploying modern software. Here are 5 gateways for IT infrastructure, listed without a specific hierarchy, along with their key features:
Kong Gateway (OSS)
- Cross-platform compatibility
- Developed in Lua language
- High performance, portability, and extensibility
Tyk
- Robust, lightweight gateway built into Go
- Easy-to-extend cloud architecture
- Self-contained with storage possible via Redis
- Functionality includes authentication, quotas, rate limitation, version control, alerts, and analytics
- Option to simulate API before releasing
KrakenD
- API gateway built in Go for maximum speed
- Portable and has no state saving or database
- Configurable with a large number of supported endpoints and server parts
- Functionality includes control, caching, quotas, QoS functions, detailed timeouts, filtering, and decoding
- Includes SSL, and proxy services, and has a flexible design for adding features, plugins, or scripts
Gravitee.io
- Java-based development for protecting, analyzing, and publishing APIs
- Includes API management, Access Management (AM), and Alert Engine (AE) modules
- AM module is a simplified identity and access management model based on OAuth2/OpenID Connect
- AE module helps monitor the API platform and identify questionable behavior
Gloo Edge
- Traffic controller built in Go
- Kubernetes integration with support of classic applications, and serverless software
- Can link to any environment and choose security and scheduling tools
- Functionality includes combining GraphQL, gRPC, OpenTracing, NATS, etc. for hybrid software with different technology bases, architectures, and protocols
Developers can create hybrid software by utilizing various technology stacks, architectures, and protocols. These best open-source API management tools provide businesses with a range of options for managing their APIs effectively and efficiently.
Best Tools for API Testing
Understanding the tools is crucial, especially when it comes to integration and API management. For 2023, there are 5 popular and in-demand API testing tools that you should know about. Here are some details about the top ones:
Postman
A widely used tool worldwide for API testing, suitable for developers, testers, and project managers. Its features include logical testing without the command line, API information extraction, test automation, debugging, and API control. It is also easy to use REST client and can send HTTP requests and get JSON responses. Postman can be integrated with Katalon Studio to enhance its capabilities.
Katalon Studio
A complimentary environment for automating web and mobile application testing. Suitable for controlling functional parameters of web service and the software itself. Its features include the availability of customizable functions and commands, implementation of the user interface and API on different platforms, and support for AssertJ. It can also perform automated or exploratory tests to identify bugs or verify software behavior.
Tricentis Tosca
This tool supports HTTP, AMQP, SOAP, and other protocols. Its focus is on reliability, accuracy, and informative API check results. Its features include improved script reuse, end-to-end testing by running API tests in mobile, cross-browser, and applications, fast and efficient regression checks, and manual testing without a Tosca environment.
Rest-Assured
This platform is for simplifying tests of REST services with Java domain languages. It is suitable for REST APIs and working with endpoints before releasing them. Its features include the ability to develop software without issues, different authentication methods for tests and API validation, HTTP support, and seamless integration with Serenity.
SoapUI
A powerful but easy-to-use tool for testing SOAP and REST APIs. It features an advanced platform to help developers test their APIs using industry-standard protocols. Its features include simplification of complex work with JSON and XML, the ability to download information from a database, files, or Excel to work with API consumers, and a free package that includes access to SoapUI source code. Its tests are dynamic and adapt automatically to the output API information if the input data changes.
Our Experience
HuntsPoyns
HuntsPoyns - a job search service, was developed gradually, starting with the release of the iOS version. Initially, an external API was used for the mobile app, and an admin private account was created. Subsequently, the app's functionality expanded and changed. A web version was released that matched the mobile app's functionality, followed by the release of the Android native version.
Read the full case study
Bottom Line
APIs have emerged as a crucial component driving digital business transformation, and with the latest API trends, they are poised to deliver even more value in the coming years. In essence, APIs serve as vital connective tissue, enabling seamless communication and data sharing between disparate software systems in different organizations. They have become a requirement for businesses seeking to leverage the shared digital infrastructure that would otherwise be challenging to access.
Stfalcon specializes in the professional development of API trends for 2023. If you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to contact us, free consultation is available.
