Things are changing for the modern business. API-first development and microservices architecture is opening the door to new innovations. Many of these new approaches are possible in part due to the evolution of serverless technology, which eliminates the need for the management of infrastructure.
Fully managed infrastructure allows for allocating resources to solving a business problem, rather than managing the IT infrastructure. This results in more agility, reduced operating cost, and shorter time-to-market, which is important for organizations of any size.
Serverless is for all, no matter the size
The benefits serverless offers is independent of the size of the company. For example:
Startups need to quickly assess product-market fit and build prototypes to test their hypotheses.
- With limited resources, startups can build, measure, and iterate their way to success with execution-based pricing models.
- Unlocks a new generation of startups, all built on the idea that a small group of people with a limited budget can be disruptive.
- As they evolve, they’ll benefit from serverless much in the same way as larger organizations do.
Enterprises need to adapt to constantly evolving customer requirements to stay competitive with agile, fast moving startups.
- Serverless enables a business to grow without worrying about managing infrastructure and the planning associated with it.
- Promotes move to architectural patterns that increase the flexibility and agility of software development.
- Provides the ability to compete at the same level as more nimble players, while consistently growing the business.
Both benefit equally from a serverless approach, for different reasons.
Improved, stronger integration for API-first applications
Over the past year, API Management has collaborated with Azure Functions to build a stronger integration between the two services. Our goal is to increase developers’ productivity and provide better, more impactful experiences for creating serverless, API-first applications.
To achieve that goal, we are announcing that two new capabilities are now generally available:
- Expose a Function App via API Management by linking it to a new or existing API.
- Monitor, debug, and maintain applications built with Functions and API Management via distributed tracing in Application Insights.
Azure API Management simplifies publishing of APIs as well as their consumption by clients. It allows for abstraction of APIs from their implementation. APIs are governed through policies, managed from a unified plane, optimized through caching, and published for frictionless consumption through a developer portal.
API Management is the front door for your application. Azure Functions provide serverless compute and eliminate the initial friction associated with implementing new applications. Functions allow for agile assembly of prototypes and production-grade solutions.
Moving into the future
The proliferation of APIs and the API economy has given rise to new opportunities for businesses of all sizes. API-first development is now a necessary approach to ensure future success. This is why we are excited about the investments we’ve made this year and how we are making API architectures easier to adopt by leveraging serverless technology.
Jump right in and get started:
- Learn how to build an API-first application with Azure Functions and API Management
- Explore the Serverless Application learning path
- Create an API Management instance 5-minute quickstart
Interested in talking with an expert? Schedule a call with one of our solution experts, for a more personalized approach to starting with serverless, API-first applications.