How APIs Drive Business Strategies
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How APIs Drive Business Strategies
Many companies use application programming interfaces, which are vital for mobile and Web-based app development, to improve customer experiences and lower costs. -
Developing Story
78% of the survey respondents said their company is leveraging APIs for mobile app development, and 76% are doing so for Web-based app development. -
Open Access
74% said their organization is opening access to APIs to external developers and/or using external APIs in their own development. -
Top Drivers of API Efforts
New or better customer experiences: 85%, Lower IT-related costs and risks: 85%, Faster delivery of revenue-enhancing apps: 84%, Extension of digital reach: 84% -
Setup Struggles
90% of the respondents said that getting the right infrastructure and tools in place is critical to API success, but just 36% said their organization has achieved this. -
Planning Lapse
89% said formulating a strategy and setting objects is critical to API success, but only 40% said their company is doing this. -
Funding Challenges
87% of the respondents said educating senior budget holders and securing funds for API is critical to the success of these efforts, yet just 31% of organizations are doing this. -
Recruitment Woes
85% said recruiting a "critical mass" of developers into an API program is essential to the success of these efforts, but only 28% of organizations have done this. -
Defining Value
55% of respondents from companies considered advanced in API capabilities have defined the value of APIs in business terms, but just 21% of firms with limited API capabilities have done this. -
Safety First
53% of respondents at advanced API companies said they are responding to security and compliance challenges, but just 21% of companies with limited API capability are responding.
A growing number of organizations are taking advantage of application programming interfaces (APIs)—defined as sets of routines, protocols and tools for building software apps—to improve customer experiences while lowering IT costs, according to a recent survey from CA Technologies. The resulting report, "APIs and the Digital Enterprise: From Operational Efficiency to Digital Disruption," indicates that APIs are becoming essential for both mobile and Web-based app development. IT teams that excel at API implementation are able to define the value of APIs in business terms, while responding to security, management, monitoring and API lifecycle demands. However, most survey respondents indicate that they face challenges in obtaining funding and recruiting a critical mass of developers into an API program. Once these obstacles are overcome, tech leaders will be in a better position to effectively address their company's business goals and changing digital requirements. "In the early days of IT, [APIs] were primarily used to give programmers convenient access to libraries of prebuilt functions," according to the report. "As systems became more distributed, APIs found their place in more general application and data integration. They allowed remote capabilities and resources to be accessed easily across a network. … They also encouraged a more flexible and robust component-based approach to software development. Fast-forward to today's highly connected world of Web services, mobile apps, the Internet of things and open data, and the smart use of APIs—built and managed using up-to-date techniques—has become a critical enabler of digital transformation." More than 1,440 senior IT and business executives took part in the research, which was conducted by Freeform Dynamics.