Technology in the hospitality industry is constantly evolving. With more options for technology systems emerging every day, it is vital for each product or service you use to be connected. Having a connected technology ecosystem is easier to manage, and not to mention, streamlines operational efficiency. But how do you connect products and services made by different companies?
This is where an open API platform comes into play. When you use a point-of sale platform that is built on an open API, multiple companies that offer different technologies can all connect at one central place; your POS.
To better comprehend how this works, we need to understand what an API is. API stands for “application programming interface” and, in straightforward terms, is a common set of rules that allow programmers to develop software programs that talk to each other. Many software companies keep their APIs private to ensure that they have complete control over what applications are developed to their system. This can make the process of creating third-party integrations lengthy and difficult. With an “open API”, programmers have access to that API with relatively few restrictions since the API has been made available to the public. An open API allows for a collaborative system where the company and third party can build integrations quickly and create innovative applications that add value to the core product.
While there are pros and cons to each, the practice of open integration platforms has become more prevalent in the IT world. 
How Shiji Fits In
At Shiji, we understand that we can’t build and provide every bit of technology out there, so we want to make it easy for our customers to implement the technology we do not provide. That is why Infrasys Cloud POS is built on an open platform that permits multiple companies to integrate APIs to our system. This allows our customers to have access to the third-party applications that they want, without having to wait through a lengthy integration process.
We believe in frictionless entry into our integration program. We encourage developers to use our APIs and do not require costly certifications. Once a developer gains access to our API portal, they are quickly given access to our sandbox for integration testing and provided with sample code in over 20 different languages. We have built the framework for our integration program in a simple manner so that developers can immediately start building. No months of waiting.
Many companies use third party applications to connect their software to outside integrations. In this scenario, the customer ends up paying three people (the software company, the middleman application company, and the third-party integration company). With our APIs, we save our customers money by connecting directly to third party applications. No middleman!
This article was originally written by the Infrasys team. It has been moved here as part of the Shiji Group family of hospitality technology brands.
