An application programming interface (API) is a set of rules and protocols that enable different applications to communicate and exchange data and functionality. APIs can simplify software development and innovation by allowing applications to access the data and services of other applications, especially those hosted on the cloud. APIs can also speed up the development process by reducing the need to write code from scratch or maintain complex infrastructure. For a mobile application development team that requires frequent software updates and wants to leverage third-party-hosted services, using APIs is the best approach for speed and efficiency. APIs can help the team to integrate their application with the cloud-based services they need, such as authentication, storage, analytics, or payment processing. APIs can also help the team to deliver updates faster and more reliably, as they can use the cloud provider's APIs to deploy, test, and monitor their application. APIs can also enable the team to be first-to-market on a new feature, as they can use existing APIs to access the functionality they need, rather than building it themselves.
Reference:
1: What is an Application Programming Interface (API)? | IBM
2: What is an API (Application Programming Interface)? | AWS
3: Cloud APIs | Complete Guide | Akana by Perforce
CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 8: Applications and Big Data in the Cloud, Section 8.1: Cloud Application Architecture4