As a likely result of implementing an ASG strategy, applications will increasingly be encouraged and even required to both consume and expose APIs. These APIs can be developed by internal or external entities, usually providing access to enterprise information systems in the organization's backend.

In this regard, it is also normal that the quantity of available APIs increases year on year. This growth rate will hardly be deterministic, as both strategic projects and tactical operations may cause API production to spike across particular time periods.

The following graph depicts a clear example of how an opportunistic organization can go from having just a few published APIs to over a hundred of them as a result of controlled strategic initiatives as well as tactical responses to unpredictable market conditions and emerging business requirements.

This, in addition to the increasing business need to become digital, implies that even more APIs are created in support...