The author predicts that API tooling providers will expose their functionality directly where stakeholders are working and improve connectivity between tooling. AI will be incorporated into products to accelerate API development and manage AI as another type of API consumer. API product managers will use governance guidelines to curate APIs into products for reuse and market these across multiple consumer portals. Enterprises will also need to balance aligning APIs to business capabilities (top-down development) and meeting developers where they are (bottom-up development).
Key takeaways:
- The 'Great Unbundling of API Management' trend will continue, with more API tooling providers exposing their functionality directly where stakeholders are working and improving connectivity between tooling.
- AI and APIs will intersect more, with AI-led automation opportunities set to streamline workflows in the development lifecycle. However, managing and governing AI within organizations will be crucial.
- API curation and marketing will evolve, with API product managers taking center stage. They will use governance guidelines to curate APIs into products for reuse and market these curated APIs across multiple consumer portals.
- Enterprises will need to balance top-down and bottom-up API development, maintaining visibility and governance across the API portfolio while supporting multiple development approaches.