Blog: From point-to-point integrations to APIs and beyond

This is not the first post about API technology, and how superior it is in comparison to preceding P2Ps in their many forms, but it certainly will not be the last either. Whether you are thinking the terms point-to-point, peer-to-peer, business-to-business, using FTP/SFTP, servers and clients or no servers or clients, for the sake of clarity, let’s call them all P2P- it’s what they do.

Integrations between software systems have been necessary approximately one day after two different professional software products were purchased by a customer.

 Even if the term was coined already in 1940s, and implementation began in 1970s, the real surge of API technology used in business has honestly happened as late as the last decade. Before APIs, the typical solution for an integration need was P2P.

For the past decade, the known webverse has been buzzing about APIs being the best and only viable way to build integrations. And quite rightly so, for a good reason. However, let’s not unnecessarily bash P2P integrations, they were great! Relatively easy to build, test and as long as you did not need to manage many of them, easy to maintain. But as your organization and the web of integrations gets bigger… it becomes a nightmare to upkeep. Two issues pop up every time the network starts to expand: “Hand coding” and “Rigidity”. Not to forget security issues too.

Let’s not unnecessarily bash P2P integrations, they were great! Relatively easy to build, test and as long as you did not need to manage many of them, easy to maintain. But as your organization and the web of integrations gets bigger… it becomes a nightmare to upkeep.

Instead of a rigid bridge between two points, and yet another bridge for a 3^rd party, any API is rather a building block to consume the data you need. And with a combination of available building blocks, any consumer can very flexibly make changes to the data they need to use without dabbling with the pre-agreed content of a P2P.

In terms of data integration, the last decade or so has proven that APIs are the most effective and secure way to connect data, applications, and devices. As all industries and businesses venture deeper into digitalization, old P2Ps are gradually, but surely, being replaced with APIs.

What have we done about it?

Fatman API provides a powerful, convenient, and secure Web service API for interacting with Fatman Frame Platform. For your convenience, we offer an API interface in a web portal, from which API consumers can easily build their calls for their customers. Access is granted & controlled thru a secure API key.

Whether you want to run your business in your own ERP and show results to your customer using Frame, or as a Frame db owner use data from other systems, our productized APIs are waiting to make your life easier. In our portal, you will find APIs (the building blocks, as stated earlier) necessary to run your business with corresponding Frame modules:

• Basic registers for basic Site, Buildings, Tenants etc. related data
• Service requests
• Maintenance tasks
• Purchase orders
• Devices
• Electricity, heat, and water consumption
• Rental contracts

As a Frame user, or a database owner, if you recognize yourself at either end of the data pipeline, please don’t hesitate to contact us at sales@fatman.fi, and let’s get you connected!

And finally…

As always, progress is inevitable. Currently REST rules, being the common and largest framework for business uses. But one must keep one eye on the horizon. gRPC and GraphQL, created by web’s giants, are relatively new and growing. If they succeed in gaining the public trust and filling the needs of various industries, I have a feeling I will be writing this same blog, but with a different title.

Harri Ståhle, Product Owner