APIs that live their best lifecycle
You want to get the most out of your APIs, but you can’t successfully socialize and monetize them without robust API management. That’s why IBM API Connect® includes API manager, a robust service for managing API lifecycles with the capabilities necessary to make your APIs easily consumable — so you can externalize and manage your services in either REST or SOAP API formats. Access API Connect capabilities through the intuitive graphical user interface, the powerful command-line interface or as full featured REST APIs for seamless integration into any existing continuous integration or automated processes.
API manager makes it easy to do it all
Expand your services
Define and import REST or SOAP APIs, enabling you to continually evolve and expand the kinds of services you can offer.
Target new markets
Package APIs into products tailored to target specific API consumer markets while also easily managing user access.
Broaden your reach
Publish and promote APIs across different environments to reach developers while aligning with DevOps practices.
Increase lifecycle oversight
Gain extensive control over API versioning from staging to deprecation, meeting corporate governance needs.
Manage growing communities
Harness subscription and community management capabilities to effectively grow go-to-market channels.
Act on insight
Filter, sort and aggregate API event data into charts, tables and maps to manage service levels and analyze trends.
A modern approach to monetization
Once your APIs are externalized, you can explore new ways to use them to help drive revenue. In addition to making it easy to implement a simple tiered monthly access model, API manager can assist with other revenue-driving models, including ones based on transaction fees, zero fees and developer payments as well as indirect revenue drivers like partnerships.
Intuitive tools for monetizing APIs
Flexible billing options
Configure your billing and payment options to include multiple API pricing models and either use the built-in billing system or integrate your existing one.
Easy pricing strategies
Choose from commonly used pricing models, such as free, flat-fee or usage-based, and then easily configure pricing without having to write custom code.
Subscription capabilities
Take advantage of subscription pricing support to enable recurring payments, which are popular in SaaS go-to-market strategies.
Key software support
Use built-in integration support for Stripe online payment software to get it up and running for smooth user onboarding and payment collections.
Integrated analytics
Get detailed insight into revenue streams and usage of your monetized APIs with analytics and customizable reports.
Effortless data transfer
Handle customized invoicing processes by easily offloading API usage data to your existing enterprise tools.
Managing APIs in the banking industry
To stay competitive and gain new customers, banks need to churn out large volumes of APIs — for digital wallets, partnerships in credit card and reward programs, social analytics and even ATM-related geolocation purposes. The sheer number of internal and external APIs for the different business lines and mobile apps as well as the retail bank requires a solution such as API Connect. Its specialized API manager interface can help swiftly handle the complete end-to-end management and monetization of innumerable APIs.
Testimonials
“ When we began our digital transformation, we consciously chose to go with IBM because it provided a comprehensive set of capabilities in IBM Cloud. ”
- Nitesh Saini
- Principal for Technology Foundation and Business Intelligence
- Canon Europe
API manager is your window into managing API lifecycles and monetization
Easily manage your role and permissions access with built-in fine-grained user controls.
You can also control your user access by creating your own finely detailed customized roles.
Create products or catalogs for consumers, and use drop-downs to move APIs along the lifecycle.
Create custom products and plans, including pricing and rate limits, for monetizing your APIs.