The Importance of Cloud API Development For Digital Transformation

All major industries are seeing an increase in the use of digital transformation services as organisations work to modernise their internal operations and fortify their resilience against the future. The demand for cloud API development has significantly expanded as cloud computing continues to permeate traditional business paradigms. Although many businesses utilise consoles and portals to manage their cloud infrastructure, APIs are more appropriate for setups that leverage public clouds.

It makes sense that a key component of the digital transformation strategy is the adoption of the cloud, and APIs are critical for enabling smooth access to cloud services. We discuss the significance of cloud API development and how it contributes to digital transformation in this blog article.

Also, Read How Manufacturing Companies Can Benefit From Cloud ERP

What Are Cloud APIs?

The software interface that enables smooth connectivity and communication across various cloud services is referred to as a cloud API. The idea is very comparable to conventional APIs, where one computer programme makes its data available to other programmes. Additionally, cloud APIs allow end users to access an application or service provided by a cloud provider. These APIs might be cross-platform or vendor-specific.

Developers can create unique cloud APIs at the same time to give users web-based access to a variety of cloud services. Writing code to make API calls to cloud providers and offer suitable responses based on preset parameters is known as cloud API development. Additionally, it would assess and confirm the response in order to carry out the appropriate action.

Also, Read Overcoming Business Scalability Challenges Using Cloud ERP

Types of Cloud APIs

It is clear from the description above that cloud APIs resemble our popular REST and SOAP APIs, but with slightly different use cases. The main distinction is that in this case, we retrieve data from cloud service providers and make it accessible to outside programmes via web connections. In accordance with the four primary types of cloud services, cloud APIs can be broadly divided into these four categories. We will examine these four primary cloud API types and their importance from the perspective of digital transformation in the section that follows.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) APIs

These application-level APIs make it possible for the cloud, the application layer, and the supporting IT infrastructure to all work together seamlessly. Applications like ERP and CRM are good illustrations of software models where SaaS APIs are used to provide a fully integrated enterprise software infrastructure.

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) APIs

Platform-as-a-Customers can design, run, and administer software applications on a platform provided by service, a common cloud service model, without having to worry about maintaining the underlying infrastructure. In this context, PaaS APIs are service-level APIs that give users access to various cloud services without being constrained by platform limitations or complicated infrastructure.

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) APIs

IaaS is a type of cloud service that focuses on offering pay-as-you-go on-demand computer resources, storage space, and networking services. IaaS APIs are therefore necessary to manage both the distribution of the specific cloud resources and to take control of those resources. These APIs, which are at the infrastructure level, primarily aid in the providing and de-provisioning of various cloud services. Additionally, IaaS APIs are frequently used in business applications like workload management and network configuration management.

Cross-Platform APIs

Currently, the majority of businesses use hybrid cloud setups that incorporate different cloud service models. For instance, they might be utilising an on-premise HRM module connected into a SaaS-based ERP system. We need cross-platform APIs to connect these two dissimilar software systems. As a result, it is clear that cross-platform APIs enable users to access computational resources from a variety of software environments, regardless of the platform that powers those environments.

You may also like to read The Multi-Cloud Strategy For Legacy Application Modernization

The Final Words

One of the best programming tools we have for implementing different application capabilities and reducing the amount of time and effort required for development are APIs. The four key categories of cloud APIs that will be helpful in accelerating digital transformation in 2022 have been covered in this article. In order to meticulously integrate various application components and give seamless access to cloud services, it is imperative to choose the appropriate cloud APIs. The development of cloud APIs helps businesses significantly reduce costs while also saving time and labour. All things considered, creating and using cloud APIs is a rapid, effective, and affordable solution to achieve digital transformation while giving businesses the most benefit.

Why Choose Oodles ERP For Enterprise-grade API Development?

We are amongst the prominent ERP software companies that its forte in providing complete enterprise software solutions for varying business needs. We provide end-to-end SaaS ERP solutions and custom API development services to solve complex business problems with a value-driven approach. Our seasoned developers specialize in using the latest tech stack, agile methodology, and next-gen technologies to build scalable cloud solutions for the industry-specific needs of our clients. Our cloud API development services enable enterprises to overcome their diverse business challenges, streamline operations and achieve higher operational efficiency while driving significant cost savings. For project-related queries, drop us a line at erp@oodles.io.