API integration: The role of automation in IT infrastructure

What is the role of an API in a successful IT infrastructure? Some companies are not keeping up with technology and missing out on opportunities to improve operations with new techniques.

To modernize effectively, you need an IT system with the latest technologies and best practices. Today, API integration is crucial for this.

Some studies suggest that companies can develop technology solutions that are 20% more efficient and cost-effective, and many different types of organizations can use API integration as a practical approach to achieve these goals.

Keep reading to find out more about the elements of a successful tech infrastructure and how API integration can build one.

What is in IT infrastructure?

An IT infrastructure refers to the essential components of hardware, software, and networks that support an organization's information technology systems and services. It includes servers, storage devices, operating systems, databases, and security systems, among others.

An optimized IT infrastructure ensures enterprises are working efficiently to take advantage of the best techniques and trends in business strategies.

This optimization and collection of data will result in data-informed decisions, faster responses to issues, an improved customer experience, and improved employee productivity.

The components of an IT infrastructure

Many elements could be included in a successful tech infrastructure. That being said, there are some common components used as a guide for best practices.

API automation

Application programmable interfaces (APIs) give data-management opportunities that can connect the already existing IT infrastructure with new integrated systems. Using an API has the potential to save vast amounts of time as applications can be built in days instead of months.

In one survey developers said that as much as 51% of their organization’s development spending goes on APIs, and 89% of global respondents saw a future investment in time and resources into APIs continuing or growing over the following twelve-month period from 2022.

According to Forbes, APIs are among the most valuable IT solutions that an enterprise will manage. In practice, the evidence is already showing clear results. Research over a sixteen-year period shows that firms adopting APIs grew an additional 39% compared to those not adopting API solutions.

Data management and storage

Data management seeks to provide a single and accurate source of findings by merging data from multiple locations to improve data sharing, real-time data consistency, and improve recovery backups. This means that data can be easily accessed with the confidence of knowing that it is properly protected.

The amount of data being created is growing at a huge rate. It’s predicted that enterprises alone will manage and create 60% of the 160 zettabytes of data by 2025, meaning that data management and storage will require continuous development.

More than just relating to the management of data, 32% of companies say that they have altered long-term strategies in response to their analysis of this growing resource of information.

Security infrastructure

As the amount of data being created grows, security and protective measures must grow with it. Ensuring that data is secure against cyber attacks and possible security breaches is a fundamental factor for IT infrastructure.

It’s estimated that cybercrime will cost companies $10.5 trillion worldwide by 2025 at a rate that is growing at around 15% each year. A common theme that adds to this cost links to insufficient security measures, with one report stating that 45% of businesses felt that they had ineffective measures of protection.

All is not lost—the solutions to combat these security threats are also growing rapidly. Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is one example of a security solution, referring to a cloud-based cybersecurity strategy that focuses on detection. It’s predicted that by 2025 50% of organizations will be using this style of protection.

Unlocking the benefits of API integration

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, businesses are constantly seeking ways to optimize their IT infrastructure and streamline operations. As we’ve mentioned, a powerful solution that has proven successful is the integration of APIs into IT infrastructure.

These time-efficient tools offer a host of benefits, enabling businesses to enhance their existing systems and drive innovation without undergoing a complete overhaul.

Let's explore how integrating an API ecosystem can transform your business.

Boost automation

Automation is key to achieving development agility. APIs enable businesses to automate processes within websites and applications, streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency.

By reducing manual processes, APIs enable you to allocate resources strategically, optimize workflows, and accelerate time-to-market for new features and functionalities.

This includes office-related document management tasks such as merging files, converting file formats, and compressing files to optimize their size. The automation of these types of processes free up resources for other critical tasks.

Save time & resources

APIs can help you save costs by reducing development time and resources. Instead of starting from zero, APIs provide pre-built functionalities and integrations that accelerate development cycles.

An API also enables you to comply with the highest security standards and certifications without needing to build your procedures to meet them.

This streamlined approach allows you to allocate resources more efficiently, minimize overheads, and focus more on fine-tuning your processes to meet specific business requirements.

Extract existing data without replacing core systems

The thought of replacing core systems of record can be intimidating, disruptive, and costly. Thankfully, API data integration provides a clever alternative. Instead of replacing these systems, create new data by using an API as a layer that works on top of the legacy systems.

This empowers you to quickly utilize valuable data to drive effective solutions without the need to build new systems from scratch.

Improve the customer experience

An exceptional customer experience is a big factor in today's competitive landscape. APIs can help businesses to deliver more personalized and relevant content by responsibly using customer preferences and behaviors to offer tailored recommendations, offers, and user experiences.

Overall, with a more streamlined and efficient business the saved time and resources can be spent on improving the customer experience to build and even better relationship with your customers.

Discover the iLovePDF document management & eSignature API

Does your business work with documents and files? The iLovePDF API provides a comprehensive set of PDF-related functionalities that businesses can integrate into their IT infrastructure, offering various benefits and opportunities to transform operations.

Automate document management by easily integrating tools that let you Merge, Organize, Compress, Convert, and Edit your files. These tools are compliant with some of the world's strictest security standards so you don’t have to worry about the safety of client’s files, or your own.

Contact iLovePDF if you have any questions about integrating our document management API into your industrial tech backbone. Want to discover more about how to integrate the API? Head to our iLovePDF Developer page for guides and more information.

Start exploring document management automation with the iLovePDF REST API

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