Why Use an API

WHY USE AN API INSTEAD OF A DATABASE VIEW?

For Providers: APIs are re-usable, secure, and more manageable. Create and document an API once, and direct data consumers to it over and over again. Let EIS support the developers’ need for easy discoverability, usable documentation, and reliable access. You don’t have to open up your database to direct client connections and manage those connections over the long run. Our API management framework provides usage monitoring, throttling, authorization, and caching to reduce the load on your database.

For Consumers: APIs are re-usable, modern and consistent. If you have multiple applications or hosts that need access to the data, you don’t need to get a new database connection authorized for each one. For modern client-side web applications, a REST API allows you to build dynamic applications with rich and powerful user interfaces. Using our services, you have a single API hub with consistent policies, a single point of contact, and a consistent model for documentation.

WHY USE AN API INSTEAD OF MOVING FILES AROUND?

Clean Data: APIs provide data in clean, programmatically accessible formats. No need to convert the data from one file format to another, no need to scrub out bad or polluted entries and no need to load it into your local system.

Timely Data: APIs are capable of providing data that is refreshed much more often than you can achieve with pulling, cleaning, and loading files.

Correct Data: APIs always pull data from a single, authoritative source, so you know you're getting the "true" information.