How Experts Use APIs and Microservices During Software Development

API development and Microservices are often confused with each other. This is a big misconception and a potential conceptual block during software development since they actually work together to boost the performance of a platform. 

Why is this important to know? The answer is simple: it will help you make better decisions when designing and developing your software application. Without that information, companies can expect some very challenging and expensive mistakes to say the least…

In case you’re unfamiliar with the terms “API” or “Microservice”, let’s break it down:

What is an API? (Application Programming Interface)

An API is essentially a toolbox full of routines and protocols that developers use when building software applications. There are several benefits they offer, but the key one is that they allow users to interact with software systems by exchanging and communicating information. 

Specifically, a developer would use an API to integrate certain functions and services into an application rather than creating one from ground zero. 

What are Microservices?

On the other hand, microservices are collections of independent services that are then used to design and operate the software with the help of APIs. Each microservice communicates with the other using APIs and offers unique benefits and capabilities that are highly beneficial to the platform.

For example, think of the shopping cart feature in an e-commerce store. When you add an item to your cart, the front-end application sends a request to the shopping cart microservice. The microservice then updates the cart and sends back a response to the front-end application that your item has been added.

By breaking down the functionality of the shopping cart into its own microservice, it becomes easier to scale and maintain the application as a whole. 

In addition, software developers use microservices so they can take a more Agile or DevOps-focused approach which in turn leads to an architecture that provides greater flexibility and scalability.

APIs + Microservices = ???

While it's true that microservices and APIs fall under the same umbrella in the broad scope of custom software development, each has its duties that make them super useful to one another. For instance, APIs are specifically designed to feed functions and data to different applications whereas microservices handle organizing the application's internal architecture. 

Ultimately, what you will have in this case is an application with various features for users to interact with (thanks to your API development) and then the microservices will handle what’s going on behind the scenes which is what allows the application to function so smoothly.

Differences and Similarities

By now you know that microservices need APIs to materialize an application, but then what makes it fair for us to say they are their own entities?

The interconnectedness of microservices depends on APIs to communicate which one could argue makes them perform in unison. However, APIs act as the link that enables different components of the tech stack to interact seamlessly, which, when working for a large-scale enterprise, is often a non-negotiable for their platform. 

Whether you’re a software developer or not doesn’t matter, this is information everyone in a business should know. With that being said, here are 4 differences and 4 similarities you’ll find when examining APIs and Microservices:

Differences:

• APIs enable communication between different software applications, while microservices form the application.

• APIs give life to a platform (by providing functions and services to various applications) while microservices keep it standing. 

• APIs can be used in a wide variety of contexts and architectures, while microservices are specifically designed to be used in more of a decentralized architecture.

• APIs tend to be more lightweight and simple than microservices, which can be difficult and require more resources to function properly.

Similarities:

• Both APIs and microservices are used in custom software development.

• APIs and microservices both rely on communication between various software components.

• APIs and microservices work together to create a seamless and high-performing software application.

• Both APIs and microservices improve flexibility, scalability, and agility during software development.

FinTech Example

When it comes to custom software development, knowing what tools to use and when to use them is probably the greatest possible advantage that development teams can have. However, to do this effectively, the team needs tunnel vision on the end goal. 

When it comes to APIs and microservices, the two work together to do many things, for example, if a FinTech company was building a payment processor, these are some of the tasks the tools would perform:

• Communicating with banks

• Database analysis

• Keeping the database up to date

• Scheduling recurring tasks

• The transaction process

• Generating PDFs for invoices

• Sending emails

What you see here are the tasks that the payment processor would rely on using API and microservice integration. Note that while each function works autonomously, they rely on APIs to communicate with each other. 

APIs can be used to activate a variety of tasks which is critical, but alone, they would not be able to fully operate the payment processor. Since the platform will need functions such as initiating charges, establishing customer profiles, generating invoices, subscribing to services, processing returns, and managing inventory, the processor would need the 6 microservices to do so.

What it Means to Have a High Functioning Software

While the process of building a sophisticated software architecture/system is complex, it is one of the most rewarding things any business can do in 2023. Why’s that? It is estimated that around 30% of business is done online in the United States alone. Without capitalizing on that, it means companies are only going to be able to achieve a maximum of 70% of their potential revenue gains. 

Consumers connect with online services that make their lives easier. A solid IT infrastructure is critical for making those services accessible. More importantly, it helps performance by:

• Minimizing downtime

• Preventing errors

• Preventing bugs

• Boosts data and traffic capacity

• Enhances security

What Have We Learned?

So does your software architecture need to look just like a FinTech payment processor would? Of course not! Custom software development is just that: custom. This makes what you learned in this article about APIs and Microservices just another set of tools to add to your arsenal during your digital transformation journey. Curious about how this could benefit your company? Reach out to book a free 30-minute discovery meeting with one of our lead software experts to talk about how you can apply custom software to your business.

Written By Ben Brown

—

ISU Corp is an award-winning software development company, with over 17 years of experience in multiple industries, providing cost-effective custom software development, technology management, and IT outsourcing.

Our unique owners’ mindset reduces development costs and fast-tracks timelines. We help craft the specifications of your project based on your company's needs, to produce the best ROI. Find out why startups, all the way to fortune 500 companies like General Electric, Heinz, and many others have trusted us with their projects. Contact us here.

Why Some Businesses Are Not Ready For Digital Transformation

Digital transformation, as the world knows it, is an exciting concept, especially when companies that succeeded without it make the transition into utilizing digital platforms. However, when it comes to integrating new processes in any business, there is going to be a lot of gray area that needs attention and support. 

Any change that’s worth undergoing demands businesses to step out of their comfort zone and embrace it fully.

A great example of this is IKEA which traditionally required customers to visit physical stores to embark on the customer journey. Flash forward to now, with all the IT innovation the company has implemented, it is said that about 80% of customers start their buying experience with IKEA online.

Change in an organization is never an overnight effort and some studies even suggest it takes upwards of 5 years to a decade for significant change to unfold in a business. Obviously, in 2023, this isn’t an amount of time that any company could survive without implementing some form of digital solutions which means that the demand for guidance with IT solutions is beyond significant. 

With that said, the first thing we need to cover is some of the common struggles businesses generally face when beginning their digital transformation journey:

1. The leadership team may not fully understand or support the implications of digital transformation, making it difficult to get the necessary funding or resources for the project.

2. Some businesses may have an outdated IT infrastructure that cannot support their digital transformation goals.

3. Employees may be hesitant to adopt new technologies or processes, or they simply may not have the necessary skills or training.

4. Companies that lack proper data management processes and tools will struggle to handle the vast amount of data that digital transformation requires.

5. Some companies may be hesitant to invest in new technology or processes because they simply don’t have the budget or don’t know how much ROI they will see. 

6. Companies that are not prepared to handle cybersecurity risks may be hesitant to undergo digital transformation.

7. Businesses that lack a clear vision for either what they want to gain from digital transformation or how they will implement it are simply not ready to take it on. 

The common thread in all of these scenarios is the need for proper planning. Companies in any industry can mitigate these risks by simply delving deep into analyzing three things:

• Infrastructure

• Current processes

• Resources

With these aspects clearly identified, the organization can start to develop that vision for its digital transformation. When we talk about the “vision” for digital transformation, we’re talking about the big picture. This change is something that everyone in the organization must be aligned with for it to work. 

When we think about the companies who’ve completely remodelled the idea of how they deliver their service (like that of IKEA), we’re looking at companies who’ve done significant analysis and research of their market and resources at their disposal. With that in mind, now it’s time to go over what needs to be considered during analysis and how the findings will lead to execution.

Plan, Then Do

Analysis: The key inspiration for digital transformation is usually a belief that certain processes aren’t as simplified as they should be. Analyzing everything from the back-end infrastructure to the end of the customer buying journey will help identify the pain points. This analysis should ideally involve collecting and analyzing data on:

• Market trends

• Customer behaviour 

• The organization's operations

Execution: Once the analysis is complete, the next step is to create a roadmap for digital transformation that outlines the specific steps and timelines needed to achieve the vision. This roadmap should include:

• A prioritized list of initiatives and projects

• Required resources

• Potential risks

• Clear metrics and goals to track progress and ensure that the digital transformation is on track (KPIs and benchmarks for each initiative)

This breakdown gives a general sense of the ideal way a company would set itself up during their transformation but it is certainly not set in stone. Every organization has a unique vision and there are going to be points where they need to pivot and re-evaluate their purpose.

The Takeaway

Ultimately the most ROI from digital transformation stems from this aspect of the process, returning to the vision and understanding all the facets of the organization that need to work together. A solid IT infrastructure can only succeed if it’s aligned with the organization's overall business strategy and goals. 

No matter if we’re talking about a start-up, or a fortune 500 business, guidance when integrating IT services is something everyone will benefit from.

Written By Ben Brown

—

ISU Corp is an award-winning software development company, with over 17 years of experience in multiple industries, providing cost-effective custom software development, technology management, and IT outsourcing.

Our unique owners’ mindset reduces development costs and fast-tracks timelines. We help craft the specifications of your project based on your company's needs, to produce the best ROI. Find out why startups, all the way to fortune 500 companies like General Electric, Heinz, and many others have trusted us with their projects. Contact us here.

Strategizing With Cloud Deployment Models: Hybrid Vs. Multi-cloud

Cloud computing is a necessity when it comes to business development for a variety of reasons. Specifically, when we take into account the fluctuating demand for data management during platform growth, we understand that there are many moving pieces during this stage. 

Cloud computing adds the much-needed structure to the platform and allows it to perform at a standard that ensures a quality user experience.

However, there need to be parameters put in place that cater to various needs of the platform such as storing data, managing resources, and ensuring that what’s being built is accessible and scalable. 

Simply put, whatever vision there is for a platform (website, web app, mobile app, etc), there are options that need to be weighed, especially when it comes to the integration of cloud computing tools. 

Cloud tools can make or break the performance and sustainability of your platform. What needs to be taken into account when weighing options for the best tools includes the following:

• What specific needs does the platform have? How can certain cloud services assist these needs? Why?

• Is the cloud provider reliable? Examine the past experiences of businesses that have used the cloud service. 

• How much security and protection does the service provider offer?

• Is the tool scalable? Flexible? Can changes be made?

• What’s the company's budget? Is the tool financially viable?

When a company looks at that list, it may seem obvious that choosing the right cloud service provider is no small task but still they may not be clear on their options. In 2023, cloud computing services are the most advanced they’ve ever been, and innovation is only becoming more rampant.

Company “Needs”

You hear “it depends on the company's needs…” all the time, but what are these needs exactly? Well, in the case of cloud computing, the typical needs being filled are based on daily processes. 

For example, a healthcare organization may need cloud computing to manage patient data, store digital health records, or even facilitate secure communication. An e-commerce store may need cloud computing to handle its online transactions, manage inventory, and ensure data security for its customers' personal and financial information.

When it comes to strategizing how a company will structure their platform using cloud services, the two main deployment models are either hybrid cloud or multi-cloud, so with that said, here’s how to find the best option:

Multi-cloud? Hybrid Cloud?

The way a business chooses to structure its cloud systems is completely subjective. When it comes to choosing which tool to use and when to use it, there are a few things that need to be considered:

Multi-cloud: As the name implies, this feature utilizes multiple cloud services from various providers, as opposed to relying on just one provider to tend to all of the platform's needs. When it comes to flexibility and efficiency, multi-cloud is a great choice. 

For example, an organization can use Amazon Web Services (AWS) for data storage, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) for machine learning functions and analytics, and also Microsoft Azure for application hosting.

Hybrid Cloud: The “hybrid” refers to balancing private and public cloud systems. The difference between these systems is simply dictated by what the provider of each service offers (each comes with unique benefits). 

For public cloud - third-party providers use the internet to provide scalable resources to their users.

For private cloud - the computing infrastructure is owned and operated by the organization itself or by a third-party provider but is used exclusively by that organization.

An example of a hybrid cloud in action could be a business that uses a private cloud to store confidential data, while also using a public cloud service such as GCP or AWS to store non-sensitive data along with applications that need to have flexibility.

What this does is allow the organization to be more in control of their data security measures while at the same time having the privilege of the scalability aspect of a public cloud. 

Choosing One

When an organization chooses between these models, there’s one key determining factor behind the decision: the type of data being stored.

Different companies have specific data that needs to be secure and other data that needs to be accessible to users. So if an organization is looking to prioritize security, then a hybrid cloud model will be beneficial to organize as well as categorizing sensitive and non-sensitive data. 

On the other hand, if a company wants a platform that’s super flexible and that they plan on growing long-term, then multi-cloud could be a great option to recruit services that can handle a bigger influx of data and add-on features. 

What’s Next?

Inevitably, the long-term vision of the brand is a necessity when releasing any sort of digital platform. 

What is the goal when it comes to user experience? 

That is the key question that needs to be answered before resorting to cloud computing options. What happens once an organization has this answer is weighing the pros and cons of each solution as it will determine the logistics surrounding UI/UX design, the tech stack used, and the overall architecture of the platform.

Written By Ben Brown

—

ISU Corp is an award-winning software development company, with over 17 years of experience in multiple industries, providing cost-effective custom software development, technology management, and IT outsourcing.

Our unique owners’ mindset reduces development costs and fast-tracks timelines. We help craft the specifications of your project based on your company's needs, to produce the best ROI. Find out why startups, all the way to fortune 500 companies like General Electric, Heinz, and many others have trusted us with their projects. Contact us here.