What is an API?
APIs are the protocols in which different software applications can communicate with each other, share data and work
in unison. This enables several software packages to work together, either adding new functionality to the existing
software platform or enhancing performance and capabilities in other ways.
In this way, the API forms the backbone of interconnectivity between applications, and is crucial for many of the
apps and packages we use daily. Without APIs, the digital landscape we take for granted would be a very different,
poorer experience.
What does API stand for?
API stands for Application Programming Interface, and as the name suggests, it is the framework that programmers
must follow to allow different apps on a platform to communicate. As with many technical terms, the words behind API
do sound like they are chosen at random but in reality, each one does apply to the overall context of what the API
actually does.
An application is the subject of an API, the software package that is sharing data or adding features. For vehicle
telematics , it is usually the processing of data from automotive sensor systems such as vehicle
tracking data, driver behavior including
throttle use and so on, even vehicle status, such as
any detected issues in the engine management system, or battery status for electric cars and so on.
The programming element is the core reason an API exists. Programming interactions between applications requires a
standardized ruleset so each software package or application knows where to look and what to look for.
The interface describes what the AP actually does. When two separate apps or systems talk to each other directly,
they are interfaced together. For vehicle systems, this could be a wide range of systems that talk to each other,
such as a fleet management system receiving
location data or a maintenance scheduling application getting data about
mileage, battery charge, fuel use and other factors.
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What are the benefits of APIs?
At their core, APIs connect systems together. It happens in almost every digital device you can think of, not just
in the automotive examples we have given here, but in your daily life. Take your phone, underneath the operating
system it is driven entirely by APIs. So, if you install an app that adds weather to your home page, what is that
doing? It integrates into your phone’s GPS via APIs to know where you are located. It talks to weather data servers
via APIs to know what the weather will be, and it shows it on the home page using an operating system API to display
the information. That is how important APIs can be in the digital space, even for things we take for granted.
But why is everyone using APIs for fleet management?
Seamless Data Sharing
APIs are independent of software development companies. That is, as long as everyone follows the defined APIs, it
doesn’t matter which vehicle tracker or vehicle
data reader is used, they can all talk to any of the fleet
management and maintenance schedule
applications you choose without any additional work.
Multiple Applications, One Process
APIs are built on data sharing, but what does that really mean? It means that all packages can access the same
information. For instance, your route planning software includes necessary fuel stops in its results, because it
also gets data from the fuel tracking system. Everything integrates into a single interface; you use one application
but benefit from all of them behind the scenes.
Automation
APIs collect data, and that can automate all kinds of processes that otherwise eat up time. In fleet management, the
system ingests vehicle maintenance data and that is automatically updated across multiple systems, including
maintenance schedules and other systems. This saves time and avoids human error, while ensuring that each manager
always has the latest data on every vehicle they are responsible for.
Conclusion
While they are little known, APIs power the connectivity between systems we take for granted every day. From your
weather app to vehicle maintenance schedules, much of what we use would be impossible without using APIs.
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