What is an API?
Before we talk about easy access to location intelligence with the Locera API. It’s important to understand what an API is. In the software world, we hear the term API on a daily basis. But what is it and why is it important? API stands for Application Programming Interface and is a set of functions and procedures that allow interaction between two software applications. Modern web APIs were first used by Salesforce in 2000, and have exponentially increased in popularity. As companies adopt platform applications to host their business systems, interconnectivity between those systems is critical and made possible with the use of APIs.
Rise of The API
Since their initial use, over 20 years ago, APIs are now becoming productized, allowing developers to build custom interfaces and applications based on someone else’s software. By using existing APIs, developers can focus on building innovative apps and enhancing existing software offerings.
When creating Locera, a lot of our development efforts focused on creating the API. We know how valuable location intelligence can be, but where is the value if it is stuck inside its own app, and not accessible by other systems of record? Our goal was to deploy a published API that made Locera location intelligence accessible in a web format, to support ERP, MES, and SCADA systems of record. Our API, hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), allows users to further enhance existing systems with secure access to their location data.
Locera API Features
- HTTP Basic Authentication (Usernames and passwords)
- API Keys (unique generated values)
- Client Certificates (mutual authentication)
- OAuth2.0 (industry-standard protocol for authorization)
Endless Possibilities
By making Locera accessible with an API, we are enabling users to apply location data to a multitude of other systems. Imagine how helpful it would be if a production order was pushed down to the plant floor and as it made its way through production, workers would have access to location intelligence of equipment and materials needed to fulfill the order. Misplaced critical assets would be a thing of the past and your team would be spending more time producing and less time scratching their heads.
How much time has your workforce spent trying to locate missing items needed to finish a job or reduce unplanned downtime? If you answered anything more than “none,” you’re losing time and money.
To learn more about how Locera can help your organization, schedule a demo with us @ https://locera.io/locera-demo/