What is apification and what is it used for?

The rapid evolution of technology leaves us with a multitude of new terms and concepts that evolve at the same pace as their uses and applications. Expressions such as Data Driven, Blockchain, or Data Warehouse are already common in the day-to-day operations of companies that approach the present and the future from the perspective of digital transformation. But what does apification mean?

What is apification?

The word apification derives from API, Application Programming Interface, and refers to the widespread use of APIs in managing business strategy.

Let’s start from the beginning: what is an API? Simply put, it’s an interface that allows different software modules to interact. APIs interconnect applications so they can make use of each other’s backends, taking advantage of existing infrastructures and thus saving time and resources.

These systems are not new in themselves; they have existed and been used for years but, with the evolution of data science and artificial intelligence, they have undergone a redefinition, making the leap from an internal interface for communication between applications within the same organization, to a means of interrelating applications and data with third parties.

What is apification used for?

The push for digitalization, the massive creation of applications, digital commerce and finance, online communication, the multiplication of internet access devices, and the widespread use of cloud systems and IoT (Internet of Things) have reinvented APIs, turning them into powerful tools for companies’ digital transformation and levers for driving new business models.

But it hasn’t been technological development alone that has driven apification; the establishment of a collaborative culture has also played a crucial role. Organizations have opened up to joint internal work, moving from a departmental mindset to a company-wide one, but they are also making the leap toward cooperation with third parties—whether customers, partners, or suppliers—with whom they create genuine ecosystems to promote effective management.

Within this framework, collaborative work environments such as DevOps, products like Github or Gitlab, or tools such as Control Towers are already common in companies that have launched their digital transformation processes. Apification follows the same standards: collaborating to improve in a win-win scenario, where everyone benefits. This is because projects and business management are accelerated and enriched by leveraging existing developments, along with a genuine motivation to exchange information and functionalities.

Open innovation is accelerating digitalization with high-value, low-cost models that offer high scalability and rapid implementation and returns, and this is made possible largely thanks to working with APIs. In this regard, it’s worth emphasizing that, as mentioned, these tools are software connectors that leverage the other party’s information while fully guaranteeing independence.

Examples of apification

We can find examples of apification in the use of selfies to validate banking transactions. Nowadays it’s already common—in fact, some banks advertise it as a distinguishing feature—to open an account or authorize payments with a selfie, and this is possible thanks to the cooperation between applications enabled by APIs.

It’s also becoming common to be able to unlock a car remotely from a mobile phone or schedule appliances (heating, oven, etc.) from remote devices—activities that are also made possible by APIs.

Another example we encounter in our daily lives is the use of Google Maps through third-party websites. On many of the sites we visit, Google maps appear showing the location of certain places of interest to the user. This interrelation improves the usability of the page, increases customer satisfaction, and encourages the use and recall of Google’s tool as the best way to navigate or recognize places. Everyone wins.

Why apify?

As we can see, the benefits of apification are numerous, and the trend points toward increased use of APIs. Let’s summarize its main advantages:

• Reduces product development time
• Leverages existing resources
• Improves usability
• Increases user satisfaction
• Lowers costs
• Drives new business models
• Boosts management efficiency
• Fosters business collaboration

In short, apification improves business processes and drives digital transformation, saving time, reducing costs, and raising the quality standards of products and services. And all of this is possible thanks to the adoption of a collaborative culture that makes it possible to leverage existing resources in processes where everyone benefits.