What is an API
An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software.
The API is not intended to be used directly by a person (the end user), but to be consumed by a program to present information to the end user.
APIs have been around since the 1940s but in the 2000s they became what they are today, where most of the exchange of information is using XML or JSON formats.
It simplifies programming by abstracting the implementation and provides a layer with which you (your program) will be interacting.
Gatekeeper of information
An API works like a gatekeeper, granting you access to a very specific subset of information made available to your program, identifying it in a unique way. Similar to when you go to the bank and get to the safe vault to access your safe box, only after your key (which the bank gave you) and their key is used in combination then you get access to your valuables.
The API exposes the information in a structured way for your program to be then consumed and you don’t necessarily know what happened in the backend to produce that information.
It’s transparent to the developers, and just by following the documentation of the API in conjunction with the industry’s standards and best practices, the information is exchanged in a fast and secure manner.
APIs in the CX journey
At Zappix we can easily integrate with different APIs ranging from the telecommunications APIs of your CCaaS/CPaaS/UCaas platform to the backend system APIs, stemming from a myriad of CRM/ERP/PMS systems, including as well other supplementary APIs, such as payment gateways.
This serverless, microservice architecture provides a robust, scalable solution that supports your customer’s journey, by retrieving and sending information to all these disparate systems within your tech stack in unified interactions that are agnostic to the underlying systems.