Today’s MSP customers want a UCaaS platform that can do it all. Unfortunately, building an innovative, modern solution can be tricky for MSPs, especially those who lack the in-house expertise or resources needed to develop a new platform from scratch. And off-the-shelf solutions aren’t ideal since they typically lack flexibility – and require providers to make compromises that prevent you from differentiating your offerings.
Open APIs allow MSPs to quickly and efficiently build a unified communications platform that helps you stand out from the crowd. Market researchers expect worldwide UCaaS spending to reach $10.74 billion by 2028,1 so staying ahead of the competition with innovative, new offerings is essential if you’re looking to grow your business in 2023 and beyond.
What Is Open API?
An open API is an application programming interface published and shared over the internet. Software developers can use open APIs easily to integrate new functionality without having to develop code. In short, MSPs can use open APIs to integrate features of a given solution into another software or application – or build a fully custom interface – without having to build from the ground up or hire a third-party developer.
Closed vs. Open APIs
Although open APIs are becoming more popular, many APIs are closed. Open APIs are readily accessible to the public, and developers can use them from anywhere on the internet. Closed APIs, or private APIs, aren’t easily accessible. If external access to a closed API is permitted, it typically involves highly-restrictive authentications.
Closed APIs are typically used for internal processes, such as container orchestration, while open APIs deliver more user-driven services.
What Are the Benefits of Using Open API?
Open APIs can be especially useful in UCaaS platform development. Three of the primary benefits for MSPs using open-source communication APIs include:
Simple Platform Customization
Open APIs help software developers innovate and build solutions to meet their customers’ demands with ease. They can enable MSPs to customize your communications offerings without keeping a high-level coding expert on staff or outsourcing to a third party. Whether you’re looking to stand out in the crowded UCaaS landscape or design a platform for specific vertical targets, open APIs are the quick and cost-effective key to differentiating your product.
Less Dependence on Developers
Businesses building custom software often lack in-house resources and hire a third-party developer, leaving them dependent on the developer for the lifetime of the software solution. In many cases, the developer controls the platform data and infrastructure, presenting a significant problem for MSPs looking to own your UCaaS offerings.
Using open APIs allows MSPs to build the ideal communications platform without sacrificing control to a third-party software developer. Essentially, open APIs let you take control of your data, infrastructure, customers – and offerings.
Faster Time to Market
Open APIs allow developers to send products to market significantly faster than writing code from scratch. When it comes to UCaaS, designing and building a new platform can take several months without the use of open APIs. With open APIs, MSPs can start selling offerings faster – typically in days or weeks rather than months.
Build Better UCaaS Experiences With Wazo’s Open API Platform
Developing software requires advanced knowledge and can take up a lot of time and money. Building a new UCaaS solution is no different – MSPs either opt to develop a platform in-house or hire a third-party developer, and both options are expensive and time-consuming. Alternately, MSPs can pay less for a cheap off-the-shelf solution that reduces time to market but doesn’t bring anything new to the table, so the platform is ultimately lost in the sea of too-similar UCaaS offerings.
At Wazo, we understand the challenges of building a UCaaS platform that helps you stand out from the crowd. That’s why we take an API-first approach to UCaaS development, enabling MSPs to leave costly custom solutions and closed black-box options behind for good.
Built on a mature, reliable platform, our flexible APIs integrate with existing and new telecom tools to help you deliver unique communication offerings to your customers. Over 50 MSPs and 30,000 users throughout Europe have trusted us for the adaptable UCaaS APIs and world-class support needed to provide better UCaaS experiences – and we’re here to help you, too. Contact Wazo today to learn more and get started with a free demo.
