Module II·Article V·~1 min read
API and System Integration: Building Blocks of Digital Business
Data and Analytics for Business
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What is an API
API (Application Programming Interface) is an interface that allows applications to communicate with each other. Like an electrical socket: a standard interface for connecting different devices.
REST API is the most common standard. It works via HTTP: GET (retrieve data), POST (create), PUT/PATCH (update), DELETE (remove). Data are in JSON format.
Example: Uber does not build its own maps. It uses the Google Maps API. Stripe does not construct its own payment infrastructure—they use the APIs of banks and payment networks.
API as a Business Model
Open Banking: banks, due to regulatory requirements (PSD2 in the EU), have opened APIs for fintechs. This enabled the creation of account aggregators, PFM-applications, payment initiators without their own banking license.
API Monetization: Twilio—telephony via API (SMS, calls). Stripe—payments via API. Sendgrid—email via API. These companies monetize their infrastructure through developer-friendly APIs.
API Economy: an economy where value is created through integrating APIs of different providers. A modern startup is, essentially, an orchestrator of APIs.
Corporate System Integration
The “zoo of systems” problem: the average company uses 100+ SaaS applications. Data are scattered: CRM (Salesforce), ERP (SAP), HR (Workday), BI (Tableau). How to synchronize them?
iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service): Zapier (no-code), Make (Integromat), MuleSoft, Boomi. They connect systems without custom development.
Event-driven Architecture: systems publish events (order created, client registered), other systems subscribe and respond. Kafka is a platform for event streams.
Practical Assignment
The company uses: Salesforce (CRM), 1C (accounting), Bitrix24 (tasks), a custom website (orders). The key problem: client data are not synchronized—the manager does not see all client orders. (1) Draw an integration scheme (who takes data from where). (2) Choose an integration tool. (3) What is the “golden source” of data for each type?
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