The Missing Link in Integration — or — Why Simply Having an API is Not Enough

API’s (application program interface) are awesome and important and in many ways revolutionary. Connecting multiple technology platforms via APIs is vital in a digital world as it allows users to maintain clean data, share data in real time, save enormous amounts of time previously spent chasing data. It also allows users to build best of class tech stacks with small innovative platforms instead of using older legacy systems that pretend to do it all (a great example of a pre-packaged “best of class” event stack is the EventTechTribe, made up of Swoogo, Hubb.me, Glisser, TRC, and ShowGizmo).

One could argue that the advent of APIs is one reason why we have so many small emerging companies offering innovative apps — over 2500 companies in the live event sector alone! I applaud any technology platform that creates an API for their product and makes it available to their clients. Openness wins the day and improves their chances for survival in a highly competitive market.

But I believe that there’s a missing link that is holding users back from fully embracing integration, and that simply having an API is not enough. That missing link? Knowledgable System Integrators that can connect the dots on APIs.

It’s no secret that there are at times a knowledge gap between the technocrats and the non-technocrats — or — people that speak geek and those that don’t. To their credit, technocrats are often brilliant minds, even wizards that create magic form 1’s and 0’s. But sometime they expect users to totally understand their product. Many users have no idea how or what an API is or does, so simply having an API is not enough.

This is where the System Integrator comes in. A System Integrator can manage the sometimes arduous task of mapping out the integration of different platforms by tapping into API’s and getting your data to flow correctly and at the right times.

Many of the tech platforms that offer APIs expect that a user will have an IT department that can do this mapping, or that another technology platform will provide that service. That may be true in some cases, but there are many times where a user has no resource available to offer that service.

If a technology company is truly service oriented they’ll not only supply an up to date API for their clients to use, but they’ll also offering integration services, or refer their client to a System Integrator that will make it easy for end users to leverage APIs.

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The Event Guys are systems integrators helping the live event industry become connected. Leveraging their industry experience and technical abilities, they utilize various platforms for integration including Built.io, Workato, and Zapier to manage their work. The Event Guys offer affordable rates, and can connect any systems with an open API or digital heartbeat. To learn more, contact them directly at www.theeventguys.com.