6 APIs predictions by MuleSoft that impacted the market in 2022

We believe in innovation and the promotion of new technologies. That’s why we are at the forefront of new trends in the world of APIs. And this same vision has our Partner Mulesoft, which in the past made different APIs Predictions that in 2022 became a reality.  

Based on a series of specialized podcasts from our partner Mulesoft, we will show some interesting ideas that could continue to empower Epidata’s API development in 2023. For this reason, you will discover how the APIs market evolved according to Mulesoft. Read on!

6 APIs Predictions from 2022 that you need to know

The Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) economy is continuing to evolve to meet new expectations, and as the year soon comes to a close, let’s take a look back at what Matt and Mike (hosters of the Mulesoft podcast) foresaw for the year with their top 6 biggest and boldest API predictions yet.

1. GraphQL will not replace REST

While GraphQL is not a wholesale replacement for REST, we see more GraphQL daily in some most creative use cases. From PayPal and Netflix to Shopify and GitHub, companies are leveraging GraphQL to either limit run time, use it on the backend, or leverage it as a development tool, and this type of pre-production use is only going to increase throughout the year.

Graph QL isn’t going away by any means. As organizations find more flexible and creative uses, the role and influence of GraphQL will continue to change and evolve toward a more emergent design.

2. API retailers will take over the API economy

Although “flux capacitor” is a dated ‘80s cultural reference, this trend has grown exponentially over time as companies start tapping into the API intermediation space and adapting the idea of an API retailer. Companies are retailing APIs out the front and aggregating their wholesale APIs in the back, taking full advantage of APIs in the app economy.

Companies like Twilio, Stripe, and Plaid are already leading the charge for retailing their services as they continue to accelerate time to market by developing coverage models that bring more value. By building similar coverage models and enabling other companies out the front door, companies can mix and match different APIs from their organization, plus key APIs in their sector.

3. APIs developers won’t be “developers” anymore

It’s no secret that we are in the low-code, no-code era, and it’s not going away anytime soon. As a result, the API developers doing the work won’t be “developers” anymore. Last year, it was all about RPA, and now we’re actively refocusing on the visual designer strategy and seeing more production in the low-code, no-code arena.

Although there’s a small group of developers who are still building, there’s still a mass of non-developers seeking an easier and more intuitive method of development. To do this, organizations must lower the barrier, expand access to APIs, and put them in the hands of the teams doing the work. Whether it’s HR, finance, sales, or marketing, the key is to get more people involved.

4. There will be at least one API security breach

This may be one of the boldest predictions of the episode, but there’s going to be at least one API security breach this year. That’s right, it’s inevitable. However, on the other side of the coin, this is the year everyone will wake up to the importance of API security. Many organizations produce APIs and under their platforms, they may still benefit from the security and security measures, but there’s still the issue of misunderstanding and underestimating APIs as the gateway into the organization.

Regarding APIs, it’s critical to rebuild, revisit and be prepared to detect, prevent, and remediate threats across the organization. This idea that you can’t manage what you can’t see is the same thing as you can’t secure what you can’t see. So taking time to create a real-time digital model of what’s going on in your systems and knowing what’s coming out of your spaces not only has operational benefits but security benefits as well.

5. There’s no APIs without AI

It’s plain and simple. Soon you won’t be able to spell, say, or think about APIs without artificial intelligence (AI). AI is constantly embedded into what we do, and thus, we’re starting to see an intersection between the world of APIs and AI. Some organizations are still learning to apply AI to their data and models, while others are setting up their models as an API like GPT-3.

However, with APIs at the front door of most machine-learning models, it’s important to factor in the risks of AI usage across the organization. Although there is a steady shift towards AI, this intersection is still new as a lot is going on in the AI space that we still need to explore.

6. CEOs will be API experts

To close this episode of bold API predictions, it’s safe to assume that CEOs will soon be a part of the API conversation. Lately, we’ve seen more senior leadership actively and enthusiastically driving the discussion around API strategy. It’s time CEOs were also in the room. As our entire world continues to shift towards digital, the role of APIs in business, customer and employee experiences, partnerships, and sales are exponential. It’s important that C-suite leaders not only understand how APIs can help drive their digital strategy but see the value of APIs across the organization.

How do we work with these innovations at Epidata?

In addition, at Epidata we have made developments following some of MuleSoft’s predictions. For example, we believe that CEOs are already part of the decision-making process. Thus, board members often discuss APIs, contributing their points of view, as was the case with Real or Familia Bercomat. 

Likewise, Epidata also supports the innovation proposed by our partner MuleSoft in our Software Architecture & Apps Integrations area. One example occurred with Atrium, which was looking for a value proposition for the ongoing support and maintenance of MuleSoft. 

In this development, we were able to enhance their connectors with their CRM, ERP, and eCommerce platform. In consequence, we were able to make a complete integration. Thanks to this APIs innovation work, they became one of Epidata’s success stories.

Finally, you have already seen some of the API predictions that our partner MuleSoft mentioned for 2022. Many of them we have implemented in Epidata developments, so we invite you to learn more about Software our Architecture & Apps Integrations area. 

*References: adapted from Mulesoft (2022): https://blogs.mulesoft.com/web-series/apis-unplugged/api-predictions-for-2022/

About Epidata

Global privately-owned company specialized in innovation outsourcing, dedicated to providing software development and software design services, application modernization, RPA, machine learning and Big Data, among others. Its solutions transform businesses, optimizing operations and co-creating better digital experiences for customers and employees.

Epidata has alliances with leading innovation and knowledge companies such as Microsoft, GitLab, Mulesoft, Salesforce, Oracle, MariaDB, Red Hat and HelpSystems. These partnerships help other companies to stay current.

Epidata operates in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay and the United States (San Francisco, California), where it has a track record of successful support to multinational corporations such as Stanford Research Institute International, JP Morgan, Tenaris, Turner, Telecom, HSBC, Monsanto, Walmart, Asana, among others.

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