Both approaches tend to be pretty vague. So it’s pretty rare that representatives of different telecoms—like Orange, Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom—share a stage and discuss not only the actual use cases of network APIs but also their limitations and the work that needs to be done to make them useful for developers.  

Cedric Gonin (Orange), Fernando Guillot Gimeno (Telefónica Innovación Digital), and Noel Wirzius (Deutsche Telekom AG) got pretty real(istic) onstage at Infobip Shift Conference, where they were joined by  Nokia’s Shkumbin Hamiti and Infobip’s Matija Razem.   

What are the use cases for Network APIs?  

The first issue on the table was – what do network APIs actually provide?  

Gonin explained that network APIs give developers access to certain user information that telcos use to identify their customers, like ISDN, MSIDN, SIM status, and other user information. This information is what you need to confirm that the device in question is really the one requesting information without sending information via SMS.  

It adds an additional layer of security against fraud and regular usage—after all, users can and do change numbers.  

Gimeno stressed that dynamic data is especially interesting to developers. Take, for example, API Device location—it has two uses, he explains. One is verification, verifying info that you already know—if you’re in front of the ATM, the bank can see if you are really around the ATM and the one getting the money. If you’re away, it can stop the transaction automatically.  

The other use is geofencing, meaning developers can set an area where they want an activity to occur. That way, a shop can offer a customer something when they are in the vicinity, or you could get a notification when your kids arrive where they are going.  

Of course, some of this can be achieved through a GPS signal, but GPS can be tampered with when it’s not coming from multiple antennas. Wirzius notes that getting the location from your telco without using your phone’s GPS is not only more accurate but also saves batteries. So it’s not just about inventing new use cases with Network APIs—it’s also about upgrading old ones using different technology.  

Use cases are great, but ease of use should be greater  

The what is important when it comes to Network APIs, everyone agrees, but the how holds as much weight. Quality of service is a part of mission-critical capabilities, and part of that is simplifying API usage and documentation.   

The telcos must embark on this journey together if they want NetworkAPIs to reach their potential. They noted that simplicity does not come naturally to them.   

After all, telcos rely on standards, as there is no other way to ensure interoperability. They have a natural tendency to introduce new standards when they face a problem, and that is somewhat at odds with their current mission of removing complexity from Network APIs.  

This is also where partnerships like the one with Infobip help by removing complexity for the end users – the developers. Let’s say you want to fly a drone over country borders. You cannot do this unless you can guarantee you’ll be able to operate it at all times, requiring you to have agreements with each telco that covers the area you want to fly it. Intermediaries like Infobip allow you to do this through a single API. They negotiate and make agreements with telcos all over Europe and worldwide so that developers don’t have to.   

In the words of Steve Balmer: Developers, developers, developers  

It’s also important to make things available to developers in a way they are used to, Hamiti stressed: “Linux foundation project Camara is one of the key efforts in that direction. Contributors help to scale it, but making it truly global requires close collaboration – between telcos and developers, but also amongst telcos themselves.” 

The first steps for developers, Gonin noted, would be to bring new ideas:  

“We are trying to do the same as with the first smartphones. We provide support for new ideas and create a platform for them. We can help bring new use cases to market and make them successful. We need to provide a full range to end-users to make Network APIs happen.”

Gimeno agrees:  

“The center point is developers. I worked for many years for Microsoft. I always remember Steve Balmer standing up in front of a huge crowd shouting, “Developers, developers , developers!”. Everything we are doing as integrators and telcos is making it easy for devs to do what they do.”  

He reminds us that it’s a new initiative—with 44 telcos participating, covering 22 countries. Yet if NetworkAPIs are global one day, telcos need to stop competing in their area and work together so developers don’t have to worry about what part of the country their users are in and what telco they are using.  

The post Network API: Achieving Simplicity on the Other Side of Complexity appeared first on ShiftMag.

This opens up exciting possibilities, like remotely controlling vehicles (imagine an interactive self-driving car two thousand kilometers away!) and enhancing user experiences.

So, how can developers tap into this potential?

Network APIs can boost app performance using telecom power

At the Infobip Shift conference, Shkumbin Hamiti from Nokia showed how network APIs make the most of 5G and easily fit into apps, with demonstrations from experts Matija Razem and Boris Drilo highlighting their real-world uses.

Shkumbin defines its API business system as a way to deliver network capabilities that seamlessly integrate into applications, enhancing the digital experience for end-users. Network APIs are how developers enter the world of telecommunications.

They provide access to valuable user data collected by operators and manage the way your applications communicate with the network. From protecting bank customers to enabling remote control of ships or cars, network APIs are already having a significant impact on various human activities.

With Networks as a code API, you don’t need deep knowledge to unlock the power of mobile networks.

Network-Based Platform: Shkumbin says that Nokia has developed a platform called “network-based”, aimed at enabling developers to access and utilize complex network capabilities effectively.

API Development: The company is working on APIs that provide advanced functionalities, such as ensuring the quality of service for sessions and improving security through trusted device locations, instead of relying solely on-device data.

Developers can easily integrate 5G features into apps

Network Science: A significant focus is on “network science” within the company, providing specialized network creation for specific applications (e.g., 5G video devices) while minimizing legal complexities for users. Network API-s enable developers to integrate advanced 5G network capabilities into their applications seamlessly.

These APIs are giving you access to the power of the 5G network and unleashing a new era of innovation and revenue opportunities.

Main benefits to app developers: Hamiti mentioned the simplicity of using their APIs – requiring only a few lines of code to achieve advanced network capabilities, despite the complex technology running in the background. Simple APIs and ergonomics SDKs fit your existing workflows and make integration a breeze.

With Networks as a code API, you don’t need deep knowledge to unlock the power of mobile networks.

Network APIs in action!

This can bring users and developers to new use cases, better and more secure applications, and network monetization. If we speak about real use cases, for example, that would be:

1. Remote logistic operations;
2. Drone operations;
3. Shared, remote, and automated mobility;
4. Finance, Health and safety Asset management;
5. Stadium, event, and gaming experiences;
6. VR technology.

Partnerships and Collaboration: Successful implementation of these technologies often involves partnerships with other companies. They are emphasizing that collaboration is key to innovating and delivering such services.

These details emphasize the significance of network APIs in enhancing application capabilities. The company’s commitment to making these technologies accessible, and the various innovative use cases being explored.

The post Unlock advanced network capabilities with just a few lines of code appeared first on ShiftMag.

Developers working in the Telco space often find themselves entangled in a web of unique network APIs, each specific to a different telecom operator.

This patchwork of custom requests and responses turns integration into a complex puzzle, slowing development and making it nearly impossible to scale applications seamlessly across multiple networks.

But with the advent of Network APIs, these challenges are becoming a thing of the past.

CAMARA will solve API headaches

So, what exactly are Network APIs?

In essence, Network APIs serve as a gateway for developers to access and interact with Telco networks.

Vilim Duganic (Software Engineer at Infobip) notes that the unique requirements of each Telco often complicate integration, creating challenges for developers.

These APIs simplify how developers manage network connections and make use of the valuable data collected by Telco operators.

So, Network APIs enable developers to leverage data stored and collected by telecom operators, enhancing the functionality and user experience of their applications. They also improve how developers manage interactions between their applications and the network.

These APIs are developed by the Camara Project (an initiative led by the Linux Foundation in collaboration with GSMA) and, as Filip Cimermancic (Product Manager at Infobip) says, it brings together a global group of operators and other stakeholders dedicated to advancing Network APIs.

The project’s main goal is to ensure high-quality and standardized APIs across different markets. Best of all, Camara is completely open source and publicly available, promoting transparency and collaboration.

It sounds great, but let’s look at some use cases

Network APIs offer a range of powerful use cases:

1. Fraud Prevention: They help detect SIM swaps by tracking SIM card changes, and verify phone numbers to prevent fraudulent activities.
2. Enhanced Customer Verification: APIs enable secure two-factor authentication through SMS or voice and verify user identities with phone number data.
3. Improved User Experience: They support number portability, ensuring smooth transitions between telecom providers, and provide location-based services for tailored content and notifications.
4. Efficient Network Management: APIs optimize cloud and edge resource management and monitor network performance in real-time to maintain service quality.
5. Streamlined Payments: They facilitate carrier billing for easy purchases charged to phone bills and manage subscriptions, including activations and renewals.
6. Enhanced Messaging Services: APIs support Rich Communication Services (RCS) for richer messaging experiences and automate customer support with chatbots for instant assistance.

We also asked Filip and Vilim for an example of a network API in action. They pointed to the Itau Bank project, where Infobip teamed up with Vivo Brazil. By implementing the SIM Swap API, Itau Bank strengthened its fraud protection, using the API to monitor SIM card changes and thwart potentially costly SIM swap attacks.

The post CAMARA and Network APIs are changing the game for developers in telco integration appeared first on ShiftMag.

“You are able to pick up an API, and in 10 to 15 minutes, you can already tell a network to give you better quality of service, to create a dedicated network for you, check the location of a device, or to check if a SIM has been swapped by a hacker”.

That’s what Network as Code does – it abstracts all the complexity of a network API for developers, automates all the mundane work, and exposes the good stuff.

Navigating the network for 5G or Industry 4.0 applications no longer requires developers to understand network technical details deeply. With Network as Code, developers can easily access and integrate network capabilities without ever touching the underlying complexities.

As Nokia’s Akin Akintola explains, junior developers can now focus on what they do best instead of diving deep into network technology; senior developers can geek out and look at the same APIs in up to 26 languages. CTOs, of course, can let their teams focus on creating features and products for their users instead of re-engineering and spending a lot of resources to compensate for a network’s deficiencies.

This video is a part of ShiftMag’s video series, Engineer Explains.

We’ve asked experienced engineers to share how they would explain some basic and some less basic tech terminology to different tech job titles or at three levels of experience — from junior developer to CTO.

More:
How would you explain APIs, internal developer platforms, software architecture, software testing, scaling infrastructure without breaking the bank,  low-code as a dev tool or what is a database at three levels of experience?

The post Engineer Explains: Network as Code in under 3 minutes appeared first on ShiftMag.