APIs are like putting lipstick on pig or a revolution? BUT who standardises chaos?
by Kylene Casanova
APIs are already a revolution of sorts - not as much as some experts think (see MW comment on previous post who thinks APIs are like old wine in new skins because just same as H2H connectivity), but it is clear that APIs are starting to run into their limits, unless they are standardised (to some extent):
- NACHA have completed an exploratory effort with Accenture on API standardization for the US Financial Services industry which showed that API standardization can provide improved security, transparency and efficiencies, and enhanced support of payments innovation
- Nordea’s preparation for PSD2 with first iteration their Open Banking portal which will act as the channel for dialogue with partners and third-party developers as they standardise how they will work with third parties
- Citi is planning to roll-out their APIs across their whole transaction banking offering. This roll-out will have to adopt APIs used by other third parties
- Ignacio Juliá Vilar, Chief Innovation Officer and Head of Retail Banking Segment at ING Group, in an interview in ThePaypers, commented, “One of the biggest lessons learned is that standardization is not easy, even in Europe. We see different levels of maturity, in different countries.” They are currently working with 80 fintechs while other banks talk about 100+.
Are standards really necessary? Who is going to do this?
Yes probably, but the fintech companies don’t move at the same pace as ISO and the banks/FIs, they just won’t wait. So who is going to do this at the speed needed?
CTMfile take: Is there a way to avoid the impending slow-down in development?
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I couldn’t agree with you more Jack. APIs have been around for a long time. Its their standardization that’s necessary to convert promise to reality. Could an end user communicate across multiple bank relationships with a common protocol and security? In a number of cases the standards are already there, its how they are assembled, options used which introduces the variations.