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Setting the best API Strategy for IoT success in SMEs

2 Mins read
Best API strategy

Modern successful businesses are using a lot of applications and accumulating large amounts of data in the process. Data has developed into one of the most important assets any business can have today. Such data, especially customer data, enables businesses to provide personalized services to customers leading to better decision making and improved customer satisfaction. However, many SMEs fail when it comes to API implementation. This is because most of them go straight to the implementation stage without working on the overall API strategy that works best with their business strategy.

SMEs need to understand that APIs allow diverse platforms, apps, and systems to connect with each other, sharing data and providing a unified view throughout all applications. For example, because of the availability of satellites, remote sensors, radar as well as other weather monitoring technologies, SMEs whose activities depend on weather get a better understanding of weather conditions. However, these weather technologies would be of little help to SMEs were it not for weather APIs that work with different mobile applications providing forecasts, weather alerts, and general weather information. Before an SME can implement such APIs, they need to test them and make sure that they align with their business strategy. 

Breaking IoT Barriers

Did you know that IoT (Internet of Things) would not exist without its connections to backend systems? This means that before SMEs can start to reap the benefits of IoT, they need to find ways through which they can connect their sensors and devices with the correct systems at the backend. When doing this, SMEs need to make sure that the transmitted IoT data is read in a way that does not affect the devices in any way. They also need to address ways through which their IoT devices consume and analyze the transmitted data. By doing this, SMEs will break most of the IoT barriers that make it difficult for them to consume the data they create in a standardized fashion, leading to an unlimited adoption of IoT as well as the consumption of its data. 

Deployment

After working on the IoT barriers, SMEs’ focus should then move to scalable deployment. It is true that SMEs with more devices connected to the IoT have a greater potential in transmitting useful and actionable data. However, SMEs with ineffective deployments limit the potential of IoT due to the unreasonable costs of connecting many devices in a meaningful way. In addition, as SMEs connect a high number of assets to the internet, they also have to work on ways through which they can effectively manage access to prevent attacks and overwhelming of devices.

Solving the IoT Deployment Problems with APIs

Successful IoT deployment in SMEs should always follow a modular pattern that has a flexible integration layer within the overall IT ecosystem. This is exactly what APIs do. They allow SMEs to build application networks that in turn allow applications, devices, and data to be shared seamlessly. Further, this limits negative impacts on data transmissions and other devices. This tells you how APIs are today’s standard interface for SMEs that want to build application networks, paving the way for IoT success in SMEs.

Conclusion

APIs are the essential blocks between applications and data connectivity while their strategy is the seamless connectivity to the right APIs for consumers. For SMEs to reap the benefits of business growth from the use of IoT, the right API strategy is critical. The successful execution of most business ideas will depend on the ability to enable a quick access to the business data – something that is better solved through APIs and API strategy.

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