API Connect from IBM

Data SheetIBM Cloud
Accelerating digital
transformation with
IBM API Connect
Securely unlock enterprise data and services for the
digital economy with an integrated API foundation
Today’s leading enterprises are undergoing a digital transformation.
They are diving into the API economy, in which businesses provide
services—and the services of partners—when and where customers
want them. They are connecting existing enterprise applications, data
and services to new channels of personalized customer engagement.
These transformations are driven by:
• Consumers’ thirst for compelling, omni-channel brand experiences
• Enterprise leaders’ desire to connect internal groups of developers
across lines of businesses to increase reuse of digital assets and
accelerate time to innovation
• Incumbent businesses’ need to compete against new entrants that are
offering enhanced experiences—in today’s markets, if you’re not
disrupting, you’re being disrupted
In this environment, APIs are essential. They act as the digital glue that
links services, applications and systems together to create compelling
customer experiences. APIs make it quick and cost-effective to create
the interfaces between back-end systems and front-end applications so
new digital services can get to market sooner, and organizations can
rapidly open new revenue channels and expand market reach.
However, APIs and the related microservice-based applications they
feed into must be created, run, managed and secured across their
lifecycle. Each stage poses a challenge that organizations must address
to ensure success in the API economy.
Highlights
• Create, run, manage and secure new or
existing application programming
interfaces (APIs) and microservices
• Simplify discovery of enterprise systems
of record for automated API creation
• Provide self-service access for internal
and third-party developers through a
market-leading gateway
• Ensure security and governance across
the API lifecycle
• Unify management of Node.js and Java
microservice applications
• Increase flexibility with hybrid
cloud deployment

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Simplify your journey into the
API economy
Organizations can address the challenges of the API lifecycle
(Figure 1) and drive digital transformation with the integrated
IBM® API Connect solution. Designed for organizations
looking to streamline and accelerate their journey into the API
economy, API Connect is a comprehensive management
solution that addresses all four aspects of the API lifecycle:
create, run, manage and secure. This makes API Connect far
more cost-effective than limited point solutions that focus on
just a few lifecycle phases and can end up collectively costing
more as organizations piece components together.
Standout capabilities in API Connect include:
• An end-to-end integrated experience across the API
lifecycle, including API and microservice creation, that can
reduce costs and simplify application development
• Automated API creation and discovery from systems of
record for fast time to market
• Self-service access to APIs to speed discovery and
consumption by developers, while providing security and
governance controls for IT operations
• Unified management and administration of Node.js and
Java plus support for multiple development languages and
frameworks to enhance developer productivity and reduce
dependence on central IT
• Hybrid cloud licensing for seamless platform flexibility and
lower cost of ownership
Create APIs in minutes
Organizations can create high-quality, scalable and secure
APIs for enterprise systems such as application servers,
databases, enterprise service buses (ESBs) and mainframes in
minutes. Intuitive tooling allows developers to visually
compose APIs, connect them to data, deploy them securely,
and monitor and troubleshoot them. By building up a library
of reusable APIs, the organization can speed new application
development and ongoing application evolution.
Quickly run APIs and microservices
With API Connect, developers can take advantage of
integrated tooling to build, debug and deploy APIs and
microservices using the Node.js or Java skills they already
have. The unified management console helps developers be
more productive; they can also iterate new ideas faster to drive
the continuous improvement an organization’s leadership
team desires.
Manage APIs with ease
The IT department can use API Connect to create and
manage self-service portals that empower internal and
external developers to quickly discover and consume APIs and
securely access enterprise data. They can also control access to
APIs and set usage limits to protect the system of record
against usage spikes. Administrators and developers can
Figure 1. API lifecycle supported by IBM API Connect.
The role of microservices
In the API economy, developers build APIs in support of
new applications that use loosely coupled services. Each
service has a particular function that can be independently
scaled or maintained without affecting the other coupled
services. This is known as a microservice architecture. To
succeed in the API economy, businesses are creating
growing numbers of both APIs and microservices at an
increasing rate. Managing these elements consistently is
critical as enterprises scale their programs and extend their
products and services from a handful of APIs to hundreds
or thousands.

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Data Sheet
Simplicity and reduced risk for IT managers
and architects
API Connect allows IT managers to expose selected
information assets to developers through configuration
features in the solution’s self-service portal. API policies are
enforced through an integrated gateway to ensure access
and usage are in line with enterprise requirements.
New revenue and extended brand reach for
business analysts
Business analysts can use advanced analytics included with
API Connect to determine which APIs are having the most
impact. Analysts can also determine which APIs to monetize
directly by charging third-party developers to use them.
Innovation and growth for LoB managers
Using customer and competitive insights from the built-in
analytics, LoB managers can better manage their market
initiatives. They can create new business models that
monetize existing information assets, grow the customer
base, cultivate new partnership opportunities and help the
company compete in the API economy.
Flexibility and cost savings in a hybrid deployment
for CIOs
API Connect provides seamless portability between on-premises
and cloud services—for example, pushing an API from
on-premises development environments to off-premises
staging and production environments. This flexibility enables
organizations to avoid the expense and complexity of
multiple licensing arrangements for hybrid hosting.
Choose from flexible offerings that grow
with your needs
API Connect is available in three offerings with flexible
licensing so organizations can start small and easily scale
to meet growing demands. Available as on-premises or
software-as-a-service (SaaS), API Connect offers three
subscription licenses based on API calls per month:
• API Connect Essentials is a no-charge offering targeted for
developers. It provides a complete foundation to create, run,
manage and secure APIs and microservices, plus up to 50,000
API calls per month.
Support for Node.js: What it means for you
Node.js is an emerging open standard for creating,
deploying and scaling APIs that connect mobile, Internet of
Things (IoT) and web applications to enterprise data and
services. Node.js is based on JavaScript, which is familiar
to many developers from their work building the front ends
of modern applications. API Connect uses open source
frameworks for Node.js such as Express.js and the
LoopBack® framework from StrongLoop, an IBM company,
to speed the creation of APIs with Node.js.
maintain version control of APIs to ensure existing
applications using an older API version remain unaffected.
Readily secure APIs and microservices
With API Connect, administrators hold security and
governance control over APIs and the microservice
applications that are deployed as part of the API lifecycle.
IT can set and enforce API policies to secure back-end
information assets and comply with governance and
regulatory mandates.
Deliver key benefits across the organization
API Connect promotes visibility and consistency among
development, IT operations and line-of-business (LoB) teams,
helping the organization better align technology strategy with
business strategy. Here are some advantages of using API
Connect across all divisions of an organization.
Fast results and better application quality
for developers
Developers can easily discover existing APIs and back-end
data sources and create new APIs faster using model-driven
tools. These unique automated API creation capabilities help
developers quickly unlock the value of the organization’s
technology and information assets and shorten time to
market for innovative revenue-generating applications. In
addition, integration between API Connect and the IBM
MobileFirst™ platform gives developers an open,
comprehensive foundation to develop, test, secure and
manage mobile applications.

• API Connect Professional is designed for departmental
use. It includes high-availability support, analytics, Node.js
and Java run times, an integrated micro-gateway, and up to
5 million API calls per month.
• API Connect Enterprise is intended for enterprise use. It
provides multi–data center high-availability capabilities,
advanced analytics, Node.js and Java run times, an advanced
gateway, and up to 25 million API calls per month.
Add-on subscriptions are available to increase the number of
API calls per month or increase the amount of Node.js or
Java run times used across the API lifecycle. Alternative
licensing options are available upon request.
Why IBM?
The API economy is the source of much of today’s
innovation as companies adopt new ways of managing their
information assets and technology and adjust the ways they
interact with partners and customers. Business leaders now
have a dynamic environment in which they can transform
their organizations; build new ecosystems; and monetize
core assets, services and products.
To position itself strategically for the future, an organization
needs to lay the foundation for a cognitive business as part of
its overall digital transformation. API Connect is the only
comprehensive solution that addresses all stages of the API
lifecycle, no matter where you are in your journey. As part of
the integrated portfolio of IBM products, services and tools,
it helps companies achieve all the benefits of the API
economy and become cognitive enterprises.
For more information
To learn more about IBM API Connect, contact your
IBM representative or IBM Business Partner, or visit:
ibm.biz/apiconnect
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February 2016
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