The document discusses trends in SaaS integration and API standardization. It notes that the number of SaaS apps used by companies is growing significantly each year, driving demand for easier integration. API standards like OpenAPI are gaining adoption and helping improve integration. It recommends companies adopt a hybrid integration strategy using both native and third-party integrations. Focusing on the developer experience through SDKs, documentation, and events can help attract more developers to an API. The document predicts continued growth in areas like no-code/low-code platforms, embedded workflows, and compliance-focused APIs.

1. THE STATE OF
SAAS INTEGRATION
GERTJANDEWILDE/APIDECK
APIStandardizationand
APIDAYSPARIS2020

2. Gertjan"GJ"DeWilde
apideck.com · @gertjanwilde·
CEO&Co-founder@Apideck.
PassionedaboutAPIs,SaaS,Data,
andServerless.

3. Apideck
apideck.com · @apideck· +󾓦
UnifiedAPIsbuildfordevelopers,
enablingfasterintegrationand
betterconnectedexperiences.

4. I
II
III
SAAS INTEGRATION TRENDS
API STANDARDIZATION
TOPICS OF TODAY
INTEGRATION STRATEGIES

5. ContinuingexpansionofSaaSApps
SaaSisgrowingisfasterthanever.Martechalonegrewby13.6%,uptoatotalof
8,000apps!175,000SaaSvendorsaregloballyactiveacrossallsoftware
categories.

6. Biggerintegrationecosystems
2020markedtheyearbothSlackandZapierreached2,000integrations.
Shopifyevenhas 5,000apps!

7. Trend
TheamountofSaaSappsusedby
companiesgrew30%YoY.
Theuniquenumberofappsusedinternallypercompany
SMB-105apps
SME-137apps
Enterprise-288apps
Blissfully2020SaaSTrendsReport

8. Integrationsarenolongeroptional.
Customersexpectintegratedsolutions+arelookingforeasierwaystoimport
theirexistingdata.

9. TheROIofintegrations
• Integrationusageincreasesthestickinessofyourproduct.
• Moreactivatedintegrations=higherLTV*(up-to3x).
*LTV-Customerlifetimevalue

10. 31%ofSaaScompanieslistsapublicAPI.
Where25%ofthosecompaniesalsoofferoneormoreSDKs.
Datafromapitracker.io

11. SaaSCompaniesareinvestinginAPIs
likeproducts.Finally.

12. APIsarenotjustanextensionofthe
productanymore.
ThestrategicimportanceofAPIshasbeenproven.

13. API STANDARDIZATION
HOW API STANDARDS CAN HELP US BUILD BETTER INTEGRATIONS

14. APIspecifications
OpenAPI(fkaSwagger)specificationsare
rapidlygainingwideadoptionwithinmajor
organisations.
Resultinginmorestandardisationandbetter
toolingfordevelopingandmanagingAPIs.
AlsowatchoutforAsyncAPI OpenAPIbut
forEvent-drivenArchitectures)🚀

15. Insight
Sadlyonlylessthan5%ismaking
theirspecspubliclyavailable.

16. OpenAPIadoption
Microsoft,GitHub,Slack,andStripeallbelieveinthepowerof
OpenAPIspecsbymakingthempubliclyavailable.

17. Contract-drivendevelopment
Source:https://goodapi.co/api-product

18. APIToolingisquicklymaturing.EnablingcompaniestobuildAPIsatwarpspeed.

19. Postman
Postmancollectionsarenowoneofthemostpopularwaystoshare
APIs.RemovingfrictiontotestAPIsquickly⚡

20. ToRestorGraphQL?
CompanieslikeGitHubandShopifyinvestinhybridstrategiesservinga
broaderdevaudiencebyhavingaGraphQLANDRESTAPI.

21. UnifiedAPIs&Aggregatorsare
gainingtraction EnablingSaaSproductstoaddintegrationsmuchquicker
150vendors

22. Customers♥ integrationplatforms
Integrationplatformscanactasdistributionchannelandcanyouhelpmeetthe
demandforlong-tailintegrations.

23. API-firstcompaniesandheadless
technologiesareontherise.
Makingiteasiertoextendyourappwithnewfunctionalityforafractionofthecost.

24. 235blockslistedatsaasblock.io

25. INTEGRATION STRATEGIES
HOW A HYBRYD STRATEGY CAN HELP YOU MOVE FASTER

26. Whyinvestinanintegrationstrategy?
A smart integration strategy lowers your TCO by saving
valuableengineeringresourcestofocus on core your product

27. Integrationstrategytips
• AMixofbothnativeandthird-partypoweredintegrations.
• LeverageUnifiedAPIs
• Bepresentonintegrationplatforms
• Usetechnographicstoidentifypotentialintegrationpartners

28. HowtoattractdeveloperstoyourAPI?
• OfferSDKs
• Investinadeveloperportal
• Documentation&APIReference
• Providesamples
• Focusondeveloperexperience
• Integrationspageandmarketplace
• APIMangament
• HostingDeveloper&partnerevents Twitch,Youtube,..)

29. SDKsandsampleprojects
https://stripe.dev/samples/#/
Samplesareapowerfulwaytodemonstratereal-lifeusecasesbyimplementingyourAPIs.Stripeand
Twiliomasterthisgamelikenoother.

30. Devrel2.0.
Harnessthepowerofstreaming.UsevideostreamingplatformslikeTwitchtoconnectwithdevelopers.

31. 2021 PREDICTIONS
WHAT WILL 2021 HAVE IN STORE FOR US?

32. Embeddedworkflowautomation.Leadingplatformsarestartingtoofferworkflowbuilders.

33. Financialservicesarestartingtomake
anentranceinSaaS
YouwillseemoreembeddedfinancebySaaScompaniesofferingbankaccounts,credit
cards,lending,financing,andmore.

34. Cloudcomputemodelslikeserverless
willgainwideadoption.
ResultinginahigherdevelopmentvelocityandmorescalableAPIs.
⚡

35. Compliance&privacyconsciousAPIs
APIdocumentationwillpaymoreattentiontoprivacycontrolsandthedatabeing
handledthroughAPIsbytaggingPIIandmore.

36. Regulations
DataprivacyregulationslikeGDPR&CCPAwilldrivetheneedforobservability
andauditlogsacrossallAPIcalls.

37. No-code&low-codeplatforms🚀It'soneofthefastest-growingcategoriesandwillgainevenmorepopularity.Itisdrivenbya
needformorecustomizedSaaSproducts.

38. WE'RE STILL EARLY DAYS IN SAAS
INVEST IN OPENAPI SPECS
KEY TAKEWAYS
USE A HYBRID INTEGRATION STRATEGY
FOCUS ON DEVELOPER EXPERIENCE

39. THANKS FOR
LISTENING!
@gertjanwilde@apideck
APIDECK-THESTATEOFSAASINTEGRATION

40. Q&A
@gertjanwilde@apideck

41. Resources
https://chiefmartec.com/2020/04/marketing-technology-landscape-2020-martech-5000/
https://github.com/slackapi/slack-api-specs
https://goodapi.co/api-product
https://shopify.dev/concepts/graphql/benefits
https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/graphql
https://apitracker.io/
https://saasblocks.io
https://stripe.com/treasury
https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payments/business-bank-account/
https://www.twitch.tv/shopifydevs