No API? Don't bother...

Is my default response for new software that fails to provide intelligent ways for other software to connect to it. Many software vendors are still creating apps without APIs and my opinion is that they should change their approach.

Why does this matter?

They say communication is key, and the same applies to apps (I refer to any software application, desktop, web, or phone-based). An API or Application Programming Interface (may sound boring, but it is very important) is a set of requirements that govern how one app can talk to another. APIs allow further monetization of apps and help to create very collaborative systems.

A single app can be amazing at what it does and poor at satisfying other demands, and so you may want to connect it to other apps to complement its functionality. It is better for a business to deploy an app that talks to other apps, instead of one that has little/no ability to communicate effectively with others. The future of computing is in connecting everyday devices, systems, and services together (referred to as the Internet-Of-Things or IoT for short). Great APIs sit behind the apps that allow you to trigger your smart home technology like light switches, coffee machines, heating to turn on/off during a certain time of day or when you are returning/leaving from home.

Forward thinking?

Some of the earliest companies to implement external facing APIs were Salesforce, eBay, and Amazon, allowing other developers to link their own creations and trigger processes within those applications. This has undeniably had an effect on adoption of these market-leading services.

Connecting applications has never been easier, even if the closest you have come to Java is drinking a cup of coffee. Online services like Zapier, IFTTT, and Microsoft Flow allow the non-techiest of people to use a heap of capabilities in connecting applications together. Whether you want to connect Amazon S3 to Zendesk or Facebook to Google Drive, the automation you want is there staring at you blankly, waiting to be set up exactly how you want it. 

Automation, the future

Connecting applications has some amazing implications for automation. If you have never used IFTTT, I implore you to stop reading and take a look now. It allows a user to create or use basic "Recipes", which wait for a trigger and execute an action based on what the trigger was. This automation is made possible through APIs. Many businesses are still wasting energy on intensive operations involving copying, pasting, and emailing to achieve what automation using APIs, does with ease.

An example...

To illustrate, I'll share an example. I'm a big fan of to-do lists, and Todoist is an app that I have come to know and love BUT, I was not happy with its ability to capture and analyse my task history. I connected it to SQL, problem solved. SQL is great for managing data, BUT the grid-like presentation is hard to quickly analyse. I connected it to MS Power BI for easy visualisation, problem solved. I also wanted my to-do list to take my flagged emails as tasks, so I wouldn't drop the ball on them. I connected Outlook 365 to Todoist and now all my flagged emails get sent to Todoist. All of this was made possible using Microsoft Flow which is free (for organisations using Office 365). 

Now my life is complete. 

So what now?

We are moving towards a low-code society where the untrained masses of non-coders begin to unleash their ideas on the world whilst the technical legends of yesterday look on with disdain. It is important to note, APIs can increase the possibility of an app being hacked, simply by being additional entry points. My advice here is that you do not transact sensitive information without a proper cybersecurity review.

Take one thing from this article and try to create a simple automation for yourself (I recommend IFTTT). More importantly, start demanding that your organisation takes great consideration for API connectivity in new software and remember, No API, don't bother.