Blog

TGFA (Thank Goodness for APIs!)

October 21st, 2010

Application Development, Technology

Technologists that design and develop systems are keenly aware of integration and interoperability.  They have faced the complex and sometimes frustrating process of making applications talk and play nice in the sandbox.  They have become specialists at designing and implementing interfaces between software applications, functions, operating systems and database management systems (DBMS).  These interfaces are referred to as “APIs.”

• Examples of popular APIs
• CIO.com  Blogs and Discussions – “Why SaaS Vendors and Buyers Need to Care about APIs”

API stands for application programming interface.  This is very similar to the idea of a UI or user interface; where the user interfaces with the operating system or application. Generally, back end systems integrations use one, if not many APIs to connect and speak to each application and/or operating system.  APIs can be language dependent (Java, perl, ruby, python, Visual C++, C#, etc.) or they can be language independent such that they can be called by various languages, where the API has no specific dependencies to particular programs or operating systems – web services, for example.

Each has its own strength and purpose and is valuable in different ways.  Many organizations are already invested in disparate applications and cannot substantiate, from a budget or management perspective, the acquisition of an additional “fully integrated” suite of tools.   Many of these suites incorporate applications we may or may not need or replicate functionality of some software we already own.  Consider, for example, the integration of a new web platform for your organization.  Legacy applications and DBMS’s are most likely going to play a role and will contain data and information that may need to feed into your new platform.  If your new platform contemplates social applications, software on demand (CRM), a content management system, mobile applications or any other systems or software applications, APIs can offer efficiencies, scalability and some risk mitigation to your integration plan.

Erica Milkovich-Padilla