While API integrations and provider's needs has been througougly discussed and researched, the API Consumption aspect has been mostly left in the dark.
Surveying 200 companies, my company,Lunar.dev has recently published its first "State of API Consumption Management" report, shedding a light on the trends, challenges and solution companies maintaining their APIs.
This report offers insights for refining third-party API governance and management strategies, examining the entire API journey. We hope these findings advance innovation in API management practices for the entire API community.
The data shared is an essential resource for any organization looking to optimize their API strategies and stay ahead in the digital economy.
The report is of course free and ungated: Get it here
Why API Consumption Management is Critical in 2024
API consumption management is becoming increasingly important, and 2024 is set to be a pivotal year. According to Gartner’s Hype Cycle, APIs are integral to the adoption of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs).
The API market has evolved tremendously in recent years, with a primary focus on ingress traffic and API providers. As API usage matures and AI usage soars, software architecture needs to catch up. Consequently, more companies are becoming reliant on egress traffic and APIs, necessitating a more strategic approach to API consumption management and tools.
As businesses leverage these advanced technologies, efficient API consumption management is essential to harnessing their full potential.
Going from ad-hoc solution to structural changes
As APIs evolve from a product-focused issue to a company-wide structural and scalability concern, the role of architects has never been more crucial. Architects are now key players in ensuring that APIs are seamlessly integrated into the company’s infrastructure, supporting scalability and driving innovation.
Their involvement is essential in addressing the complex challenges of API consumption and ensuring that the organization’s API strategy aligns with its overall business objectives.
However, the results indicate that organizations aren’t prioritizing the strategic monitoring and management of their APIs and lack the appropriate tools to do so.
Consequently, too much time and effort are absorbed in the everyday work of developers, with 36% of companies reporting that they spend more time troubleshooting APIs than developing new features. While APIs drive innovation, the survey shows that without proper management, multiple integrations require significant attention and maintenance.
The complexity of maintaining third-party APIs often leads to security risks, hindered performance, and higher operational costs. This underscores the need for dedicated tools and strategic management to optimize API usage and enhance overall organizational efficiency.
Insights that stood out:
Here are 6 insights from the report that I think really stand out, but there are many more:
-36% of respondents reported spending more time troubleshooting APIs than developing new features.
- 54% of companies still deal with rate limit and usage problems by developing ad hoc solutions, even with purchased external solutions in place.
- 66% of companies may be exposed to security risks by under-prioritizing API management.
- 83% reported that their top methods to troubleshoot API issues focus mainly on monitoring, overlooking optimization opportunities.
- 57% reported lacking the flexibility to scale their third-party API consumption as needed and identified performance stability under varying loads as a major issue.
- No API leadership role is needed (and the case for why it should be your architect).
Read the full report
As mentioned before, this is not a lead-gen gated content piece. This is on-site, un-gated, free. No email is required and no sales call will follow.
Explore the trends and challenges in API Consumption in 2024
What are your takeaways?
I’d love to hear your takeaways from the report and, more importantly, how you see your company in light of the results.
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