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An API represents a contract between two parties: the provider and the consumer. An API is an agreed-upon interface (the I in API) that the two parties will use to communicate. Today’s usage of the term API primarily refers to their usage in web services. Organizations are on the lookout for innovative APIs that are available— perhaps open and free, or for a subscription fee—and they are building fully-featured applications (and entire businesses) that leverage those APIs. This shift brings with it the need for API democratization and API management.