One of the highest demand services today is for integrating services with other services, such as a CRM (customer relationship management software) and an email service. The purpose of integration is to create powerful scenarios, typically automated, that perform crucial tasks for businesses. Having access to data increases the potential of growth and lead generation, so becoming more efficient and maneuverable is an effective, if not necessary, strategy. The possibilities are nearly endless for automating business processes via integrations, and doing so leads to an increase in productivity.
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Problems encountered when attempting an integration include issues such as confusing or incomplete documentation, technical errors, and time invested in research and development. Also, some integrations haven't been previously configured. That means that a custom configuration must be created in order to accommodate the service in question. In effect, unless you're wanting to build programming and technical skills, your time will be much better invested in finding a professional to tackle your custom integration needs.
There are many possible integrations available for configuration, but choosing one that corresponds to your needs depends on your existing software, website, or services. Most of us use integrations on a daily basis without thinking twice about how these connections take place. For example, while using Instagram there's an option to share a photo you uploaded to Facebook. An API allows for the capability to transfer data from one service to another or to access data from an application or program.
Another practical example is connecting Trello (think task-oriented note keeping/kanban) with Slack. Doing so allows Trello cards to be created in Slack, or it allows users to be notified via Slack when new cards are created in Trello. Those are examples of some integrations that have already been created. Yet, what if you are using a relatively unknown service and want to integrate with a service such as Trello or Slack? Well, it will require some custom engineering.
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Or, if a site needs a purchasing feature, such as PayPal or Stripe, creating an integration with the site would allow customers to check out and pay, sending funds directly to a PayPal account. A payment integration sounds simple until requirements start popping up for SSL certification (encryption for data) and having to adjust content and images that originate from a non-secure http source.
Even Zapier, one of the leading integration specialists, hasn't created an integration with every possible service. So, the only remedy is to wait for another person or company to offer the solution needed or to create a custom configuration. That may seem simple, but it's far from it. Integrations rely on the use of APIs, and learning how to work with the architecture, style, and constraints of an API can take a great deal of time. In fact, novices may reach a point of frustration when realizing that the required skills make this into a herculean task. There are a myriad of resources available online that can assist one in learning to configure custom integrations, but it will require patience and determination.
Alternatively, there is the option of hiring a service such as CodePilot.io to configure integrations on your behalf, because understanding an API's constraints and learning the skills required to successfully connect your services may take weeks or months to accomplish.
No, it's not a beer. That's an IPA. According to Webopedia, the succinct definition for API is as follows: "Application program interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. An API specifies how software components should interact and APIs are used when programming graphical user interface (GUI) components. A good API makes it easier to develop a program by providing all the building blocks. A programmer then puts the blocks together."