Web services interoperability: How Esokia manages API integration

An API (application programming interface) is a tool that facilitates data exchange between two systems and links them together in order to form an integration. An API makes it much easier to use a program no matter how complex it is.

Increasingly integrated web or mobile services

CRM, Analytics, social networks, newsletters, customer reviews, content management and publication (DAM), product (PIM), booking, payments, deliveries,... websites and mobile applications are nowadays integrated into a multitude of value-added service platforms.

To these are added chatbots, artificial intelligence to automate customer relations, or the use of tools such as Hotjar to monitor the performance of your showcase and e-commerce sites.
The control of interoperability between all these services is becoming more and more critical. 
These services are mostly based on open SaaS models with REST or SOAP API architectures.

 

Integration of REST & SOAP API

REST (Representational State Transfer) and SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) web services are the most widely used SaaS API formats. 
The XML language is used for SOAP web services and allows exchanges between a client and a server through the HTTP protocol. 
For REST web services, the HTTP protocol is only used for inputs/outputs. They are not compelled to use XML as a language and their exchanges between client and server are less verbose than those of SOAP, which makes them simpler. 

These APIs are built from a data format: XML or JSON.
XML is a very powerful and "extensible" data format that is similar to HTML.
JSON is a data format in JavaScript programming language which allows it to be extremely simple and usable on both front-end and back-end.

Thus, the existence of APIs, and their functional completeness, is therefore a key issue and an absolutely strategic selection criterion in the integration of increasingly rich and interoperable services.

A proven API integration method

The growing need of interoperability between complementary software or services on different businesses and technologies, has pushed ESOKIA to make an efficient, standard and secure integration method so as to maintain the interface in its best condition.

Our web agency in Paris, Mauritius, Madagascar and Serbia works on different frameworks such as Laravel or Symfony and CMS such as Drupal, Wordpress, Sitecore, Sitefinity and ensures the implementation of best practices for the realization of its applications.
ESOKIA has therefore naturally focused on these SOAP and REST APIs, which are widely adopted and supported by the community. 

ESOKIA also makes use of REST APIs to interface the front-end of React Native, React JS or Angular mobile applications on back-ends developed in Drupal, Symfony, Laravel or Firebase.

(H2) ESOKIA has integrated APIs of different types

CRM, ERP, HR, Booking, Retail, Couponing, Payment, Analytics, Chatbot, Maps, Social media, …

Non-exhaustive lists of APIs integrated and mastered by ESOKIA:

• Salesforce
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM
• Sabre
• Oracle
• Talentsoft
• Highco
• DHL
• Bazaarvoice
• Paypal 
• Stripe
• Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch
• Google Maps
• Chatbox
• …