#Japan #API #Minato #Kong #SI&C

Kong and SI & C Forge Strategic Partnership

In a significant step aimed at enhancing the API landscape in Japan, Kong, a leading company in API management platforms, has announced a strategic partnership with SI & C, a prominent system integrator. This collaboration aims to advance the utilization of APIs among businesses in Japan, positioning them as strategic assets for innovation and competitiveness.

The Vision Behind the Partnership

The partnership springs from the recognition that in today's competitive environment, businesses must modernize applications, adopt microservices, and leverage AI to foster new service creation. As a backbone for these initiatives, the importance of APIs—serving as flexible connectors between cloud and existing systems—continues to rise. Achieving an API-first strategy requires not only cutting-edge technology but also an understanding of business challenges and the development of effective strategies through partnerships.

Kong views APIs as critical to corporate growth and innovation. The company is on a mission to realize an API-first world, necessitating partners who comprehend business intricacies and collaboratively develop optimal strategies. SI & C stands out as the ideal partner due to its extensive industry knowledge and practical consulting capabilities. Their combined efforts will support Japanese companies in embracing an API-first approach, advancing digital transformations (DX), and enhancing overall competitiveness.

Why SI & C Chose Kong

SI & C's decision to adopt Kong's solution stems from a few key factors:

• - Developer-Friendly Performance: SI & C has utilized Kong's open-source version of its API platform and has been impressed by its performance, flexibility, and scalability. Compared to other products, Kong's solutions are more user-friendly and enable faster service development and operations.
• - Global Reliability: As testified by third-party evaluations from institutions like Gartner, Kong efficiently handles billions of API requests daily, which aligns with the needs of large-scale, mission-critical Japanese enterprises.
• - Local Market Optimization: Kong has enhanced its product offerings and support systems to cater specifically to the Japanese market, ensuring rapid and high-quality assistance for domestic customers.

Benefits for Customers

This new partnership is poised to deliver multiple advantages for businesses leveraging the combined strengths of SI & C and Kong:

1. Strengthened Competitiveness and Adaptive Service Development: By utilizing SI & C's extensive technical prowess and consulting capabilities alongside Kong's API platform, clients can efficiently integrate internal and external data and services, facilitating agile digital service development that can adapt to market changes.
2. Creation of New Business Models and Alliances: The partnership promotes the safe sharing of company data and functionalities through APIs, accelerating inter-industry collaborations and data utilization to unlock new business models and revenue streams.
3. Infrastructure for AI Utilization: Real-time data integration supports effective AI applications tied directly to business outcomes. With SI & C's ongoing support and Kong's API management solutions, companies can fully leverage data and technology to drive growth.

Together, SI & C and Kong will not merely provide systems integration; they will foster a core data utilization strategy that supports broader corporate DX and growth objectives.

Future Developments

To accelerate corporate DX and the establishment of an API economy, both companies plan to initiate several key actions:

• - Establishment of API Hubs: They will provide solutions for centralized management, protection, and publication of distributed APIs within organizations, thereby enhancing API governance and security at the enterprise level.
• - Integration with iPaaS and MA Products: SI & C will integrate Kong's scalable API management platform with industry-leading iPaaS and Marketing Automation tools, facilitating comprehensive support for digital transformations of enterprises.
• - Training Kong Certified Technicians: In the first year alone, SI & C will train around ten individuals to become Kong-certified professionals, building a robust support system for high-quality design, implementation, and operational assistance targeted at enterprises.

Business Goals for the Next Five Years

Looking ahead to 2029, both firms aim to onboard over 50 clients across various sectors, including manufacturing, finance, retail, and government, reinforcing their commitment to understand the business challenges of their customers and provide optimal API platforms alongside data integration strategies. Their collaborative efforts will drive continuous growth and innovation for Japanese companies.

Statements from Leadership

Toshinori Iwasawa, President of SI & C, expressed: "At SI & C, we operate under the mission of changing society for the better through digital technology. Through our partnership with Kong, we aim to accelerate the digital transformation of Japanese companies by building new digital infrastructures centered around API utilization."

Daiki Arizumi, President of Kong, stated: "We have focused on supporting the DX advancement and innovation of Japanese enterprises through APIs. This partnership with SI & C, known for their industry expertise and practical consulting capabilities, marks a significant step towards fostering an API economy, enhancing corporate competitiveness and contributing to Japan's societal development through flexible data and service integrations."

Atsuhisa Mizutani, President of Braze, welcomed the partnership: "With the growing need for personalized experiences, the collaboration between SI & C and Kong will facilitate corporate growth through comprehensive data and technology utilization, creating deeper connections with consumers."

Shin Kumagai, Executive Officer at Asteria, affirmed: "The partnership between SI & C and Kong strongly supports the realization of next-generation enterprise architecture centered around APIs. This collaboration will enhance digital transformation in Japanese companies and contribute to the expansion of the API economy."

About Kong

Kong is recognized as a leader in the API management platform field, committed to enabling global companies to adopt an API-first approach. Their unified cloud API platform enhances developer productivity while delivering fast, secure, and scalable products, thus improving the digital experience and accelerating innovation. More information can be found on their website, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms.