Global organisations know that integrations can be complex, costly and time-consuming.

Whereas integration is about facilitating interaction between two machines or systems over a network, API acts as an interface between two applications, ensuring they can interact with each other smoothly.

Leveraging an open architecture refers to the seamless connectivity that allows organisations to automate business processes and enhance the sharing and embedding of data between various applications.

APIs help to create a seamless network that increases visibility and control over integrations with improved implementation time to build best-of-breed ecosystem along with a rapid integration of products delivered by different vendors into a single business system.

There are mutual advantages of adopting an open API architecture, since the firm can deliver additional services to its customers, while the service-provider can profit of an increased usage of its APIs.

Moreover, bridges between business and IT departments are alleviated, avoiding duplication of functions and business processes between different applications, enabling rapid component integration and simplifying complex changes.

Therefore, a successful API strategy could bring many benefits:

But at the same time APIs should be well supported by developer portals with a detailed documentation (e.g. through Swagger) where API consumers can discover them, learn how to use, request access, and try them out.

Furthermore, they should be carefully monitored to test connectivity, response, and performance, to make sure the application is stable, scalable and performs consistently as expected with optimal resource utilisation and, if necessary, finely tuned or quickly changed upon need.

In such a way you can be in control of your integrations, no matter if the integration is done by the customer or a partner, leveraging open APIs to make your system better.