API stands for application programming interface. The long and short of what it does to integrate applications. This can be singularly your bespoke apps or lots of third-party applications, or both.
How does software talk to each other? Through an API.
For example you may have a Document Management System or File Transfer service that clients use, but need it to go from your web-portal to the DMS – or for it to be scanned with multiple Anti-Virus to make absolutely sure it’s safe to be on your system.
Curious how that would work? Chat with us and we’ll demo it to you.
APIs are known to save time, money and reduce complexity in systems. For example instead of coding into your website where your office is, making complicated pages of code and reinventing the wheel – you can just the use the OpenStreet API. By the way, if you don’t have your location on your website you can find their API here to get cracking.
If you use a tool which doesn’t have an API, or support API integration this means simply: it will cost you more time and money to build on top of and integrate this tool. So don’t buy it; if it’s Open Source really push for the API integration in the community where you can’t get the functionality elsewhere.
Serious software players work to be open, interoperable and provide you the support necessary to make the tool work for you.
All of our partners do exactly this – we wouldn’t have it any other way – and if you want to a more technical explanation of APIs this article by Red Hat has you covered.
Make things secure, easy to integrate and keep control of your toolbox.
I’ve been saying lately that if a screwdriver doesn’t fit your hand, you wouldn’t change the hand! It’s the same with computers.
Amritpal Gill, Director of Hayachi Services
