Application Programming Interfaces (API)

Natively, APIs are tools for other apps to communicate with each other. APIs started to grow since 2000. You might think that 16 years is a lot for technology growth. But APIs, natively, do the same stuff. The unique difference is that there are much more now, than 16 years ago. And obviously, they are much more complex, yet easier, to use. 

Some famous APIs are developed by huge companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter…etc Google is a really diverse company, and guess what, it has an API for every single product they offer (Ads, Google Maps, Google Drive, Search, YouTube, Google+, and much more).

 

You might think that only huge Silicon Valley companies have APIs, but NO. There are plenty of smaller companies that also have their APIs available to everyone in the world.

APIs are one of the most important things when a new startup emerges, APIs allow developers to build something cool that might be useful for the startup product.

For example, Phillips Hue has their API available for making third-party apps that might exploit all the possibilities that Hue has to offer. There are awesome things you can try just by using an API.

APIs work for web, mobile devices, and computer software. You can use Amazon on your site, tweet from your site, and much more things you can do with the use of APIs.

When you are thinking about something awesome, and start worrying about how to implement it, believe me, there is an API for that.

With APIs, possibilities are limitless.

 

Easter Egg: Check out this amazing API for IBM’s Watson.