5 Best Tools for API Integration for Modern Cloud-Based Applications

In the world of microservice architecture, API or Application Programming Interface acts as a messenger carrying requests to generate appropriate responses from enterprise systems. It facilitates interactions between applications and data pipelines, for the efficient functioning of the online business infrastructure. APIs help businesses create new software solutions quickly, synchronize their data across sources, and collaborate better.

Communication between multiple APIs is enabled by using an API integration management platform. This is required to establish a connection between two software systems for exchanging data with each other through their APIs. API integration process for modern cloud-based applications and third-party tools helps to improve employees’ productivity, facilitating:

• Automation of processes
• Making data sharing secure
• Developing enterprise software ecosystems

Two of the prime examples of API integration can be seen in payment gateways and e-commerce. When paying online for the goods purchased, the actual transaction is not visible but happens in the background, where the app verifies the payment details through a secured API connection.

In an e-commerce marketplace, the website stores information about customers, suppliers, and the goods available in different software solutions. When an order is placed, it uses API integrations to bring together all this multitude of data from different sources for seamless access and order fulfillment.

Benefits of API Integrations

In the modern enterprise where interconnectedness is very important, API integration help to prevent the formation of data silos by connecting the modern cloud-based apps.

In every department, there may be multiple APIs to perform different tasks. The API Integration Platform enables the pulling together of the best applications for every individual task and seamlessly connects them into a highly effective stack with a sleek interface.

The API integration platform also facilitates the building of a new API from an existing one. This is an improvement over the traditional practice when an API had to be built from scratch or a third-party API had to be used. But now, with the API integration platform, new APIs can be built with just a click of the button, saving you cost and time and protecting existing investments in technology.

In businesses with legacy systems, historical data may be relegated to a system that is forgotten and therefore not accessible when needed or integrate with the new systems. The API integration platform can help extract data from these old databases and servers. Even old, efficient business logic and workflows can be reused, simplifying the digital transformation process.

New apps can be created successfully using API integration platforms by even very small teams, connecting different technologies or exposing already existing integrations. The entire application development process can be automated, accelerating the development and maintenance process and optimizing resources for innovation and improvements. Their time can be better utilized on projects of strategic importance such as increasing the ROI of the existing apps. This also helps to improve the productivity of the teams.

Most importantly, the API integration platforms enable businesses to be future-ready, keeping pace with technological advancements while protecting the existing investments.

Top 5 API Integration Tools

• 1. Postman: One of the most popular API platforms, it has more than 17 million users from across 500,000 organizations globally. It is a flexible tool that facilitates collaboration across the API integration lifecycle for faster designing, developing, documenting and testing of APIs. It also makes it easy to test the different endpoints of the web services. Desktop app for MacOSX and Windows and mobile apps for both iOS and Android are available.

• 2. Apigee Edge: This is an API management platform from Google allowing the building, publishing, and monitoring of APIs. It ensures the safety of the applications with real-time security threat detection capabilities. Personalized developer portals can be created with self-service access to the developers. Automated monitoring of all the APIs provides business insights while increasing the resiliency of the application.

• 3. Improvado: Improvado is an API integration tool designed by marketers for the marketers, providing access to all real-time campaign data through a single dashboard. This is supplemented by automated report generation and customized dashboards.

• 4. IBM API Connect: An integration platform for DevOps, all the APIs and web services can be accessed using a single connector. Custom connectors using open standards such as RESTful APIs and UDDI can also be built. Data from various sources can be integrated into a central location or database.

• 5. AWS CloudTrail: Logging, tracking, and retaining API calls related events by IT is made possible by this AWS service. The real-time logs of all AWS resources provided include information on changes to configuration and the activities performed by the user on those resources or an application created with those services. CloudTrail also enables the monitoring of cloud resource compliance.

Indium to Enable API Integration for Cloud Apps

Indium Software, a cutting-edge cloud-based solution provider, helps with end-to-end app modernization solutions including the development of APIs and enabling API integration. We help businesses with asset modernization, future-proofing their legacy applications to keep pace with the changing market needs.

Indium leverages API integration platforms to make your existing technologies, agile, and future-ready, thereby protecting your investments while ensuring competitive advantage. Our team of experts can help evaluate your existing APIs, business needs, and design flexible application modernization solutions with security and functionality.