How APIs Can Help Your Business Grow
If you’re a business owner, then you know that it’s important to keep up with the latest technology trends. One of the latest and most popular technology trends is Application Programming Interface (API). But what is an API, and how can it benefit your business? If you’ve ever used a website or app that requires you to sign in with your Facebook or Google account, then you have already interacted with an API. An API is a set of rules that allow two different software programs to talk to each other. In the context of business, this means that your website can interface with another company’s backend systems to pull data or push orders. This allows businesses to create more complex interactions and integrations than would be possible with just a simple website alone. For example, by using an API, a business could create a custom-built integration between their Enterprise Resource Planning system and their e-commerce platform that automatically updates inventory levels and adds new orders to the order management system. APIs can also allow your internal software to interact with mobile applications, so users can access information on the go. They can allow you access to outside data that help your users, like accessing Google’s API to allow users to add appointments to their Google Calendar.
Simply put, API’s offer growth opportunities by allowing developers to enhance your product and send more users or customers your way. They also allow you to tap into data that already exists, so you can streamline processes and make your own people or processes (or both) more efficient. The objective behind creating a custom API platform for your business is to create a single interface from which to manage your products, customer interactions, customer research, analytics, marketing, inventory, digital sales, consumer rewards programs, e-commerce etc. Although delivering a great digital experience is not easy, by embracing APIs, businesses can reap huge rewards and generate profits in places previously unconsidered. APIs are a foundational technology that enable companies to participate in the digital economy. Businesses may want to consider a managed IT service provider to help develop, integrate, and secure their APIs. This is not just about authenticating and authorizing access to APIs, it is also about policies to block attacks, ensure sensitive data is not accidentally or intentionally leaked and to revoke a compromised API that was granted to a user.
You can learn more about how Myriad Information Technology Solutions, a full managed services provider in the Fraser Valley, can manage secure services for API integration by contacting us today to discuss your needs. Let’s explore how we can utilize APIs to help your business thrive!