Microsoft Azure API Management Reviews

We're a bank, so one of our primary use cases for API Management is integrating our API with third parties that provide financial policies. Sometimes they want to use our services, like payment and customer inquiry, so we give them access to the API gateway. 

Azure API Management allows you to control who has access to your API gateways and assign permission levels to third parties if you want integration with third-party solutions. That has a couple of advantages. Those third parties can directly access your API directly, and you can set limits. It can also configure authentication on other API managers.

An API gateway is like a platform, and your API provides access to the resources in your environment, so this gateway is an intermediary between you and third parties. It's also the interface between your internal applications. For example, if you have a mobile app and internet banking, they can all be copied in the same API through that gateway. So, that was basically the use cases we have. So, we have almost all the API's behind the gateway.

I like API Management's sandbox feature. It's an environment where you can test out the API before putting it into production and connecting it to a live environment.

The hybrid part could be improved because API Management is entirely cloud-based, but some of our resources are on-prem, so formatting is an issue. Our goal is dual implementation. 

There's always room for improvement in terms of the user interface. Generally speaking, technology evolves, so any service provider needs to make their product as user-friendly as possible. In the next couple of years, we'll see more non-tech people handling tech solutions. The solution should be more accessible, so people can use it to create things without being very tech-savvy.

We've been using Azure API Management for about three years.

API Management is stable.

API Management is scalable. The licensing is structured so that you save more at a higher scale. The only limit to the scale is how much you're willing to pay. 

We have an enterprise support contract for Microsoft, and we don't have problems with them. 

We used IBM ESB before Azure API Management, and we're using both now. ESB isn't the same as API Management from a technology perspective. They have distinct functions, but they can do similar things. You can view an API on IBM ESB, but you can view and expose API on Azure API Management. They solve similar problems but are not exactly the same.

Deploying API Management is somewhat tricky depending on your level of technical knowledge. The first time we used it in production, we had it for a couple of months. The first month was an evaluation period, so we had it in a test environment to get a feel for how it works and possible complications. However, you could deploy it in a couple of weeks if you wanted. 

You only need about two to manage it, including one admin. It's more like a platform-as-a-service, so we don't need to do the normal maintenance we do on an on-prem platform. 

We deployed API Management in-house.

I can't disclose how much we pay monthly, but the pricing for Azure API Management is available online. It's pay as you go. The subscription packages have room for different scales. It's calculated by the number of apps or computers you use. You do not have to use the enterprise subscription. These subscriptions have different pricing, so you can find one to meet your needs for scalability.

I rate Azure API Management nine out of 10. Your choice of technology is based on your needs, budget, and C suite. Azure API Management is a good product, but there are some other good services, like Azure Connect, Google APG, and a couple of others. It depends on your needs.

Using a cloud solution has advantages because the client can immediately use the product. Another strong reason we use Azure API Management is that we heavily use Microsoft products in our organization, so Azure is a natural choice.

Since we built our product around APM, our clients use it directly. They find APM to be a simple and straightforward solution that fulfills all their API management needs.

Our clients use APM because it's a SaaS-based solution that comes with Azure Stack-managed services, making it easy for us to use and fulfill all their use cases.

We are actually partners. We built our product on top of APM and provide it to our customers.

API gateway-related features were fulfilled by APIM. So those features, we are completely leveraging for our solution, like throttling. It is fair and easy. It's a low-code, no-code model of API hosting.

There is room for improvement in the user interface and workflow for hosting APIs, especially third-party APIs. 

Another area of improvement is the pricing model. The solution has an add-on cost, and if we want to leverage some of the features, we are forced to buy it. So, cost-wise, it's not ideal.

I have been working with this solution for one and a half years. There isn't really a specific version since it's a managed service in the cloud. However, with Apigee, there are different versions available, as it can be hosted on-premises. But for APM, it's only available in Azure as a managed service.

I would rate stability a nine out of ten. 

I would rate the scalability a nine out of ten. It can host it in different regions, and we can point to the same set of backups and try to expose the APIs. Our current customers are in the medium category that's why I rated scalability a nine. 

We have a strategic partner for technical support, and they are very responsive.

Positive

I would rate the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy. Previously, we were using Apigee, so comparing it to that, it's cloud-specific and opens the gateway. So there were some challenges.

The deployment was quick. The deployment of this product was managed by a manager, so once you set it up, it has a quick turnaround time. 

We used the Azure deployment model and followed the recommended steps for posting the APIs, and also followed the Azure recommended layer for deployment.

Compared to Apigee, which is a one-time cost for on-prem, this solution is cloud-specific and a managed service. So cost-wise, it's comparatively expensive. I would rate it eight out of ten, where one is low and ten is high. 

Moreover, there are additional costs to the standard licensing fees. We have to purchase four to five managed services around API to use it. For example, we use the express route and key vault, and we have to purchase those features along with API.

We explored different options and found that APM was the most suitable for our scenarios.

Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten. The reason is, as I mentioned earlier, it is best suited for our use case. One reason is that the product is only available in Azure. So, we are leveraging multiple managed services and building the product around that. Additionally, we select it according to the customer's needs. The hosting API workflow needs to be improved.

We use Azure API Management as a migration tool and for security. We have services interfacing with Boomi and APG, and we're migrating them to Azure API Management and Azure Logic App. This involves writing integration logic in Logic API and exposing APIs securely to external networks. We also integrate Snowflake with ServiceNow data using Kafka and Azure API.

Our primary advantage with Azure API Management is the ability to achieve real-time data updates for user queries. This is vital in retail, where customer concerns need immediate attention. By using Azure API Management with Snowflake and Kafka, we maintain accuracy and speed in our data processes and transactions.

Security is the top feature of Azure API Management. It allows the use of existing identity servers or OpenID for secure API sharing. The speed of deployment and the ability to integrate legacy databases using API wrappers for external exposure are also valuable.

Azure API Management lacks integration capabilities seen in other tools. It should at least handle basic transformations, which currently fall to Azure Logic Apps. Including a mapper, like IBM API Connect, would be beneficial. There's a need for better integration features without additional solutions.

I have been working with Azure API Management for approximately two years.

Azure API Management is stable. I haven’t encountered significant issues, and I would give it a nine out of ten for stability.

Azure API Management earns a seven for scalability. I feel there are fewer features to explore, compared to other API management solutions.

Microsoft technical support is excellent, and I would rate it ten out of ten.

Positive

Google APG and IBM API Connect are some of the tools used earlier. They were preferred for their integration capabilities and better mapping features.

The cloud setup for API management is simple. However, for hybrid or on-premise models, it requires considerable resource allocation, needing multiple virtual cores and a Cassandra database.

Azure solutions are priced very low, which is a benefit. However, if additional features are required, like AI integration, more investment might be necessary.

Google APG and Kong API were evaluated as alternatives. Google is considered better because it offers integrated features within API management, like Gen A features.

Azure API Management is better suited for enterprises due to its extensive toolset and roadmap for data integration and scalability. For smaller companies, lightweight alternatives like WSO2 are recommended.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

We primarily use the solution to manage our APIs.

The ease of use of the solution is excellent. It's a very user-friendly solution. 

The initial setup is quite straightforward. 

We found the solution to be very stable.

The solution can scale if you need it to.

Technical support is very helpful.

The solution has very fair pricing.

The lack of wording in the API could be improved. In the API you need to delete the suffix. It is annoying that you need to have a suffix. We can add a suffix at the API level, not at the operation level, and that could be improved on.

There are a couple of features that are lagging.

I've been working with the solution for five years or so. It's been a few years at this point. 

We have found the solution to be quite stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. Its performance is reliable. 

The solution scales well. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so with relative ease.

We have about 15-20 users on the solution so far.

Technical support has been very good. They are quite helpful and responsive. We are very satisfied with the level of support provided to us.

The initial setup is straightforward. A company shouldn't have any problems during the process.

The cost of the solution is very fair. It's not overly expensive. It offers very good value.

We are Microsoft partners.

I'd recommend the solution to other individuals and organizations. Overall, I've been quite satisfied with its capabilities.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

We use the solution to manage the APIs of the legacy app in on-premises systems at our organization. We use the solution for security purposes. It lets us put restrictions on who can consume the APIs. Also, we can keep a check on the dashboard for requests and the health of the APIs.

We are using Azure API Management as a platform. We have a ServiceNow instance. We connect it to the internet to have an internal connection network through on-premises systems. Here, we need to expose our APIs to security. So we take the help of Azure API Management for security purposes. Also, we can use dashboards to get information about API requests.

The solution's most valuable feature is the ability to create policies. You can customize the business and security rules directly with it instead of creating new systems for managing the same. With this policy, you can develop anything with them.

It is a good solution. The latest versions of Azure API Management have included many new features. At the moment, our APIs don't follow the RESTful concepts. So, we face a challenge at the initial stage of the project. We need to get cache policy requests. We have to develop rules internally for cache requests with the policy methods. So many other companies must be needing this feature. They should work on it in Azure API Management's following versions. 

We have been using the solution for four years now.

It is a stable solution, but updates don't work.

We have more than 400 developers and more than 1,000,000 consumers using this tool.

We have a technical consultant. Microsoft support is excellent. They offer a good support solution.

I didn't know about any other API Management solution before, but I had read about the Apigee from Google. Azure is better as it's easier to use and has more features than Google.

It takes work. One needs to learn about this tool, the policies, and how to work with them.

We have consulting companies that help us. The API Management is simple to deploy. We have instances for the production, developer, and staging environments. We have three instances, and the APIs also come with ARM templates. We have a central repository of Azure. Creating a new instance takes a long time, but implementing a new API is faster.

The solution comes with a standard license. Its price is one of its drawbacks. Some costs need to be more affordable for us. Frankly, Azure is our most expensive resource; it's costly.

The solution is very easy to maintain. With it, we can integrate all other products and easily manage them. We have all the interactions in the same cloud.

In API Management, we have segmented consumers' APIs and secrets' APIs. We have global secrets and patents. It is easy to use after you learn and research about the tool. So, one must learn about this tool before implementing it or have a consultant to help with the initial feedback and organizing API products.

I would like to rate the solution as an eight as the price is not low, and it becomes difficult to afford it. It's easy to use, but it could have been easier.

Our primary use case for Microsoft Azure API Management is as a gateway for all API management within our tech environment. It serves as a basic part of our DevOps toolchain.

Microsoft Azure API Management is a basic part of our DevOps toolchain.

Microsoft Azure API Management serves as a gateway for all API management within our tech environment and is a basic part of our DevOps toolchain. We utilize it for control and monitoring, particularly for the security aspects of our APIs. 

It provides easy integration within the Azure environment and with third-party SaaS applications, like integrating our point of sale system and our loyalty system under Mastercard.

Microsoft Azure API Management could be improved by enhancing the visual editor of the development portal. Considering that everything is moving towards low code or no code, having a management or development portal with a more intuitive visual editor would be beneficial.

I have used the solution for two to three years.

I rate the stability of Microsoft Azure API Management as nine out of ten. We have not encountered significant stability issues.

I rate the scalability of Microsoft Azure API Management as nine out of ten, indicating that it is quite scalable.

Microsoft support has greatly improved, with resolutions being fast depending on the severity of the ticket raised. I am very satisfied with the support provided by Microsoft.

Positive

The initial setup of Microsoft Azure API Management is straightforward, and I would rate the ease of setup as seven out of ten.

Azure API Management is priced reasonably. The license costs about $150 per month.

We did not evaluate any other API management solutions, as our focus was more on integration platforms.

API management is a crucial component when building an enterprise's integration platform. Microsoft Azure API Management is a good tool, especially when there are many workloads and resources within the Azure environment. 

I recommend using this tool, and I would rate it eight out of ten.

Microsoft Azure API Management is used in our organization to support the API lifecycle. 

It's a valuable tool for API lifecycle management. Another Azure offering is API gateway, which is used to enable the APIs, publish them for internal or external customers, API scaling and other typical use cases. 

Microsoft Azure API Management also has security or threshold features that monitor and control API access through a subscription-based model. 

Documentations for implementing certain product features are very difficult to find. Information regarding some features of Microsoft Azure API Management cannot be found through searching on the Internet; it can be understood, discovered, and learned hands-on while using the solution. Documentations for the product should include examples of implementation. 

I have been using Microsoft Azure API Management for four years. 

It's a highly stable product. 

Microsoft Azure API Management can be easily scaled. 

Users can contact customer support whenever there are any issues with the product's stability and features.  But in our company, we never faced any issues with the product for which we had to seek help from the support team. The documentation from Microsoft helps our company to solve issues on our own. 

Microsoft Azure API Management can be easily deployed. But if you want the API pipelines to associate with the API codes, sometimes it can be challenging and the need to write custom code might arise before the solution's deployment. The Azure DevOps pipelines are not straightforward, just like some other Azure services.

The deployment time depends upon the service availed and the artifacts, including API, policy file, and other integrations. Each API deployment takes around five minutes with Microsoft Azure API Management. The deployment duration majorly depends upon the ideal pipeline building and its configuration. A team of professionals is required for the solution's deployment and maintenance. When a maintenance need arises with the product, a professional can spend half a day implementing it. 

The ROI depends upon the purpose of adopting Microsoft Azure API Management in the first place. For basic usage like API and gateway management and publishing, in that case the product's ROI will be high.

Proper configuration of the solution, implementation strategy and correct scaling tier selection are other factors that influence the ROI. For instance, if you avail yourself of a higher tier of scalability than required and there are only a few users of your API, the ROI might not be satisfying. 

The product can seem very costly if the use case for Microsoft Azure API Management demands high usage and scalability. I would rate the pricing a six out of ten. It's an expensive solution. 

When Microsoft Azure API Management is compared with IBM's competitor product, I would always choose Microsoft Azure API Management because of its user-friendliness, easy integrations with other Azure tools and other extensive features. 

The availing of API protection features depends upon the customer requirements of our organization. If customers want the API to be secure and restrict accessibility then a subscription model is often integrated into the API where users will gain access to certain services upon payment.

If a customer will be dealing with sensitive data through their API, then only a few individuals will have access which is implemented through Microsoft Azure API Management. I would overall rate the product an eight out of ten.

I would advise others to check the documentation first as it allows you to test the product even before purchasing. Superior technical experts are not needed to operate Microsoft Azure API Management. It's an excellent learning product as one doesn't need to buy a license to start using Microsoft Azure API Management. 

We use this product for Epics, Story and Function Management for Products and Accelerator Development, Deployment and Operations Management.

This is a One Place solution for the majority of needs in an IT and Software development environment.

Microsoft Azure API Management is better because it has a DevOps integration by default.

It would be better if it were easier to transition to Azure from JIRA. For example, there are different nomenclature that must be addressed when you shift to Azure from JIRA. JIRA's storage, tasks, and epics are treated differently from Azure. 

Here they might become functions, which is not an option in JIRA because that nomenclature difference is there. 

JIRA has sub-tasks, but sub-tasks don't exist in Azure. The nomenclature and the linking between Epics and a function and a story are different, and people may have to learn to adapt to the new nomenclature.

I have been using Microsoft Azure Project Management for about Two and a half years.

Microsoft Azure API Management is pretty stable. We are Microsoft gold partners, so we have not faced any issues until now.

Microsoft Azure API Management is scalable. The Microsoft platform supports my organization, which is 35,000 employees strong.

Technical support is pretty good. 

We were using JIRA which can be enhanced by using third-party tools, this is a costly business so we shifted to the Microsoft platform, which was integrated for development as well as management. So that's a better way of doing things.

The initial setup is straightforward. It was an organization-wide integration, so we have never faced any issues.

It's free for less than ten users. If you want to go beyond that, its paid. But when you use all features of Azure its a very cost effective solution.

Costs depend on the size, complexity, usage, and what facility you want to integrate. So, we use Microsoft Azure and have the entire DevOps and Visual Studio on the cloud. We get all enterprise flavor with very optimum cost, when compared to multivendor environment.

I would tell potential users to go for it. It's a good platform. Even though the ecosystem may not be that strong, it's a better option for a software development company. You can explore other options to save some bucks if you are not into software development. However, for an IT company, Microsoft Azure is the better option.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Microsoft Azure API Management an eight.