By itself, the humble API is many things, none of which include “new,” “innovative,” or, often, even “interesting.” But it has underpinned a boom in technologies that can be described as such, thanks to its versatility: it can be used as a data delivery mechanism that gives firms greater control over how they access ever-increasing volumes of datasets, or bridge the chasms between disparate applications, at a time where connectivity, interoperability, and consolidation are market demands.

APIs