The Internet of Things (IoT) movement is generating unprecedented business opportunity across industries by transforming isolated systems into intelligent objects that send and receive data to backend platforms. A large part of the interoperability, scale, and control for IoT can be achieved through API management. Standards-based design patterns for Web APIs, API management, and a RESTful architecture provide tremendous value in simplifying the task of interoperability across heterogeneous systems handling vast amounts of data. Since APIs have become ubiquitous, IoT deployments spanning a wide range of market segments can benefit from this proven architecture.

APIs lower the barrier to entry for connectedness and enable secure communication from things to applications located just about anywhere – in any cloud, data center, or accessible from API-enabled devices. In order to realize true value for the Internet of Things, businesses should focus on the value-added services they can assemble from data derived from IoT and how they can combine this data with their legacy systems and business assets. It is this data mashup that is happening across verticals and where true innovation for the Internet of Things is occurring. Any number of unique IoT business strategies and go-to-market business models can be empowered, whether they are internal, external, mobile, or channel partner focused.