Vordel, building on its market leading gateway technologies, today announced the availability of a major Application Programming Interface (API) innovation – the Vordel API Server. Unlike other offerings in the market, the Vordel API Server is an enterprise-ready, unified platform to manage, deliver and secure APIs. This latest innovation from Vordel provides enterprises with the power to deploy APIs to cloud and mobile channels, via a unified platform which ensures security and high performance. The Vordel API Server enables enterprises to reap the benefits of APIs by driving revenue growth through these new channels while leveraging their existing IT architecture.

The world is moving to APIs. As such, Lightweight Representational State Transfer (REST) and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) APIs are the key technologies enabling mobile and cloud applications. As a result of this trend, API delivery is a key concern for enterprises.  In a recent Vordel survey of organizations deploying APIs, over 50% reported using APIs to integrate new business channels, with a further 25% using APIs for mobile applications. The Vordel API Server gives enterprises the flexibility to quickly integrate cloud and mobile channels with their backend systems without losing control of those services.

Vic Morris, Vordel CEO, said, “In today’s challenging conditions, it’s especially important for business to be responsive and agile. Mobile and cloud technologies enable businesses to rapidly develop and deliver new customer services, which drives growth. Based on seventh generation technology and Vordel’s previous innovations from application gateways to the cloud service broker, the Vordel API Server is critical for any business that wants to successfully leverage mobile and cloud computing. Furthermore, the Vordel API Server provides security and high-performance API delivery, enabling our customers to fully benefit from mobile and cloud APIs.”
 
Mike Gionfriddo, CTO at Safeway subsidiary, Blackhawk Network, a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses, said: “Cloud and mobile computing have greatly increased the usage of APIs in the retail and financial services’ industries. High availability and performance are key factors in the commercial success of any APIs exposed to developers, application end users and ultimately the consumers of the service.  An API Server provides the policy governance capabilities to ensure the APIs are optimized for performance and scalability. Enterprises should look to use API Servers for security enforcement, traffic management and monitoring tasks at wire speed. ”
 
Richard Watson, Research Director with Gartner, said “Enterprises are spending heavily on building applications and services, but many are failing to reach business goals. Businesses desire to extend their reach into new channels and to harness mobility and cloud computing trends. They need platforms that provide easier access to information and greater agility to respond to new opportunities. Web APIs provide a platform for customers, partners, and employees to build new features and capabilities.”
 
Key Features of The Vordel API Server
An API Server is an operating platform for managing, delivering, and securing APIs. The Vordel API Server delivers APIs of all types, including REST APIs for cloud, mobile and Web, SOAP APIs for Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and file based interfaces for B2B integration. The Vordel API Server provides the following services for API operations:

API Transformation
· Brokering protocols and mapping identity between internal and third-party APIs
· Aggregate, orchestrate, and create mash-up APIs
API Control and Governance
· Monitor and guarantee Quality of Service (QoS)
· Audit and enforce Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for APIs
API Security
· Control access to APIs and secure data transmitted via APIs
· Detect and prevent threats from attackers or malfunctioning applications
API Monitoring
· Audit & log API transactions
· Monitor and analyze API usage and performance
API Development Lifecycle
· Develop, test, and distribute APIs
· Developer portal to promote APIs and recruit application developers
API Administration
· Administer API through complete lifecycle
· Integration to partner management systems
 
Where is it deployed? The Vordel API server can be deployed in traditional data centers or in an elastic cloud environment, including public, private, and hybrid clouds.
Availability: The Vordel API Server will be available from June 29, 2012. Access the Vordel API Server whitepaper and datasheet here.