What is an API?
In simple terms, API stands for Application Programming Interface . As the term itself suggests, API is a standardized set of programming that allows applications to be built and for them to work in a "hidden" interface, that is, it is the entire programming system that makes an application or software work without the user noticing.
This interface allows an application to integrate with other web applications. We will explain in more detail how the API allows an application to integrate with other web services in the next topic.
How do APIs enable integration between web services?
The best way to explain how API integration works is through a practical example. One service that integrates several other applications that you use in your daily life is Google Maps. Google Maps has technology that allows thousands of other applications to be integrated into its system. For example, when accessing a real estate website, you can usually locate the properties you are interested in through a small Google Maps window.
There are several games that use your location via GPS and define routes and objectives through Google Maps. In this example, we can see the integration of three different applications through APIs: the game, the GPS and Google Maps.
What is API Economy?
Nowadays, we can say that the world does not "turn" without APIs. Everything you do on the Internet and much of what you do outside of it involves integration between different APIs. Let's say you want to buy a decorative object for your living room. What is your first action? Search for prices, models and possibilities on the Internet.
Most large companies' shopping websites currently offer a product price comparison system, preventing users from having to open several store websites and calculate prices one by one. With just a few clicks, users have access to all the different prices and models available for the product they want to buy. This happens thanks to the integration of several APIs, algorithm applications that perform comparative searches on other websites, among other applications.
How does the API Economy work?
There are API suppliers and consumers . In other words, supply and demand. For everything to be possible, there needs to be a market that provides the construction of these APIs, just as there also needs to be a demand from consumers of these services.
In this case, API consumers are divided into two stages:
Primary Consumers;
End Consumers.
Primary consumers can be companies or entrepreneurs who need APIs to optimize their commercial services, whether it be the purchasing process on their website, customer service, or even the generation of bills and invoices, among many other features. End consumers are the customers of these companies who will always be the focus of the entire process and, of course, those who benefit most from API optimization.
API integration and cost reduction and process improvement
More and more companies have adopted the concept of integrating their services through partnerships in order to reduce costs and improve user experience. One example of this is how Atende Simples integrated its services with Iugu , automating the sending of the 2nd copy of the invoice over the phone , without the need for an attendant.
The result of this partnership brought great improvements and practicality for its customers, such as cost reduction and greater practicality for the end consumer.
You can see how a simple API integration process can optimize a company's production and make its customers much more satisfied by clicking here .
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