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With each passing year, companies are becoming increasingly more dependent on APIs. Essentially, any organization looking to take advantage of the latest cloud technologies is dependent on APIs. Therefore, understanding how APIs work and how to best manage APIs is crucial. However, tackling APIs alone can be quite challenging for many companies. 

If you’re looking to seamlessly integrate APIs into your organization, then working with an API management platform might be a worthwhile investment for your company. Read on to learn more about APIs and to discover five benefits your company could receive by working with an API management platform. 

Understanding APIs 

Before discovering some of the benefits associated with API management platforms, let’s take a better look at what APIs are. Essentially, an API or application programming interface consists of a set of functions. Ultimately, these functions allow applications to access data and interact with external software, operating systems, and microservices. 

Overall, APIs are responsible for delivering a user’s response to a system and then sending back the system’s response to the user, enabling multiple applications to talk to each other. Check out some common types and functions of APIs below.

Some common types of APIs include:

  • REST APIs
  • SOAP APIs
  • Browser APIs
  • iOS/Android APIs  

Some common API functions include: 

  • Deleting products or product categories 
  • Creating new products and product categories 
  • Updating product data 

With a deeper understanding of what APIs provide to organizations, now it’s time to delve into the ends and outs of API management. 

Related Reading: 13 Great Reasons To Add APIs To Your Business

What Is API Management? 

As discussed, APIs are essential in the ever-changing world of business. Of course, organizations already have a lot on their plates, which means that the importance of APIs often gets overlooked without a full IT team working within the company. The good news is that even organizations without fully equipped IT teams can reap the benefits of APIs through API management platforms. 

Overall, API management platforms aid in distributing, controlling, and analyzing the APIs that connect applications and data for companies. Some common components of API management platforms are outlined below.

  • API gateway
  • API developer portal
  • Reporting and analytics tools
  • Lifecycle management tools

Ultimately, API management can prove very beneficial to companies. Read on to discover some of the top benefits companies can expect when working with an API management platform.

5 Benefits of Working With an API Management Platform 

With the ever-growing importance of APIs in business, there are many benefits associated with API management platforms. Check out the top five benefits companies can receive from working with API management platforms below.  

1. API Management Platforms Help Companies Make More Data-Driven Decisions 

One of the biggest benefits of working with an API management platform is the extensive analytic tools it provides to the company. Ultimately, access to these analytic tools allows companies to make more data-driven decisions and, in turn, achieve data-driven growth. 

2. API Management Platforms Provide Protection From Security Threats 

Another key benefit API management platforms provide to companies is added security benefits. While APIs are very beneficial to organizations, they also pose as security threats when left unprotected as they are often a key point of entry for hackers. However, with an API management platform, companies can rest assured that the APIs they use are secure and protected. 

3. API Management Platforms Help to Create a Seamless User Experience 

API management platforms also help to create a seamless user experience for customers. APIs are what allow costumes to easily bounce back and forth across multiple channels in your business like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, chatbots, and more. When working with an API management platform, companies can rest assured that their integrations are working and providing a great user experience for customers.

4. API Management Platforms Encourage Innovation Across the Company 

Another significant aspect of API management platforms is that they encourage innovation across companies. As APIs bring agility, flexibility, and innovation to companies, these ideals slowly but surely permeate throughout the entire organization.

5. API Management Platforms Help Companies With Workflow Automation  

A fifth and final key benefit of API management platforms is that they help companies achieve workflow automation. Ultimately, APIs help to streamline tasks, allowing companies to automate a variety of tasks and gain more time to focus on more extensive business jobs.   

Related Reading: Top 100 API Integrations

Developing APIs can be a complex, time-consuming, and expensive process. It can also expose your organization to a number of risks including consistency, quality, and developer resourcing. DreamFactory is a REST API generation platform for a range of databases and other data sources. It gives you the ability to generate secure and fully documented APIs in a matter of minutes. Ready to get started?  Sign up for a 14-day free trial and start creating your APIs today.

How Integrate.io Can Help

If you’re looking for a way to start incorporating API integrations and management tools into your organization, Integrate.io can help. From automation to scalability to communication to redacted errors, the Integrate.io platform, and its API integrations have a lot to offer your company. With Integrate.io’s API, you will also be able to create clusters, run jobs, monitor the progress of any of these jobs, and terminate any jobs or clusters that are running. 

Are you ready to see what benefits the Integrate.io API can bring to your company? Contact our team today to schedule a 7-day demo or pilot and see how we can help you reach your goals.