API Development and Integration

REST, SOAP, JSON, XML, CSV - What are APIs and why use them?

In very simple terms, an Application Programming Interface (API) is a method for software vendors to give other parties access to their code or data in a controlled, standardised manner. It’s called an ‘interface’ because this system won’t allow those parties to make changes to the program’s code base but will act as a surface layer which permits the use of its functionality or data.

It’s not hard at all to see why software developers and vendors are huge fans of APIs if you consider their versatility, speed of working with large data sets or intelligent functionality and the level of IP control on offer. Not to mention the pool of business and technological possibilities which come with all those features – it’s clear to see that APIs are amazing and here to stay.

Our expertise

We have a number of years under our belt building successful and well-tested APIs for organisations to enhance existing solutions or implement within new projects.

We’ve built bespoke ticketing systems, CRMs and other web apps with built-in APIs, added new functionality to existing platforms and websites by incorporating a variety of third party APIs. We have been consulted by organisations to help them build unique API-ready programs, customise existing services or integrate services according to very specific requirements.

APIs promise unlimited possibilities

These are just a highlight of practical functions APIs can deliver

• Allow Single Sign On (SSO) access to web and mobile applications
• Give users metered access to content based on constraints such as location or number of articles per month
• The ability for users to use Linkedin and Salesforce without needing individual complex access rules
• Allowing third parties to sell tickets using your unique ticketing system
• Empowering developers to apply a wide variety of assets like images, fonts and styling
• Make use of functionality and data from tens of thousands of applications and providers
• Combine information from multiple data sources and feed it into into a bespoke CRM, for example

Build once, reuse everywhere

Having been an essential part of software development for many years, APIs have enabled software vendors to popularise their services and make it easy for third party software developers to build solutions that seamlessly incorporate key functionality, protocols or data from them. This spanned an entire API economy, giving birth to solutions like Uber and enabling companies like Google to build services like Google Maps.

What is brilliant about APIs is that they enable software creators to build a solution once and then simultaneously reuse it as many times as necessary and in as many places as necessary. This means several things.

1. Efficiency – there’s only one code base to work with and maintain, and managing multiple components can be done with precision and minimal effort.

2. Security – using APIs it’s significantly easier to establish and enforce specific security protocols instead of opening a database to third parties.

3. Cheaper – smaller number of specialist and technical resources are needed to build, maintain and improve an API-based solution.

4. Faster – smaller impact to access data or functionality, because APIs can be cached and access authorised according to specific rules. REST APIs also allow vendors to build dynamic applications while using the same connection.

5. Consistency – the exact same features, details and availability will be offered to all parties who use the API, without interruptions.

6. Control – fine-grained access and usage policies can be defined based on an unlimited number of constraints.