Earlier today, Apigee took one small step for a company and one giant leap for all those who wanted to get into enterprise-grade API management, but couldn't, by releasing its new API platform. This new platform puts API management tools into an affordable, easy to use package that's suitable for most any size business that wants access to top-notch API management.

The new API management tools from Apigee will allow for up to 3.5 million API calls per month, and thereby give any company access to the app economy, allowing them to get their share of a steadily growing market in communications and e-commerce tools.

The API platform includes four major features in its operation; first is a set of gateway services that allow current assets to be converted to API, and in turn, API-based products. Second is a set of analytics tools, allowing the performance of the apps across a variety of metrics to be not only tracked, but also measured, to show the overall performance of the apps in question and provide potential insight in terms of change. Third is a set of developer channel services, geared toward allowing businesses to create developer communities around their products, along with API consoles and the like, to keep developers engaged. Finally, the API platform also includes a set of app services built around Usergrid open source systems, allowing developers access to a variety of features involved in building apps like data storage, geo-location, and several others.

Apigee already has a wide following; reports indicate that roughly one in five of the top 100 companies in the Fortune 500 use Apigee (more specifically, Apigee counts companies like Netflix and Getty Images in its roster), and the Apigee platform receives over 100 billion API calls every month.

Chet Kapoor, Apigee's CEO, further underscored the value involved in Apigee's API system with his remarks: "Apps are quickly changing the way we all interact and do business – and APIs bring apps to life with rich streams of data and Web services. We are confident that the Apigee API platform will dramatically accelerate the growth of the app economy."

Indeed, he's right; apps are taking up a steadily larger role in the current economic picture with each passing day. Turning to a mobile app for information or entertainment is second nature to many, especially those that find themselves out of the house and away from their primary devices of choice.

For some, mobile devices are the primary devices of choice. That's only going to make apps--and app development--more valuable overall, and services like Apigee's are essentially the general store in the gold rush town, selling picks to miners. Its clear Apigee's platform is already widely used, and these improvements should only make it more so.

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