Why Standard APIs Aren’t Enough
The telecommunications industry has made significant progress in standardizing network APIs through initiatives like CAMARA and GSMA Open Gateway. However, as Shabodi’s CTO Harpreet Geekee noted during the MWC demonstration, “While network APIs represent the next major revenue stream for operators looking to move beyond connectivity, the key insight here is that standard APIs alone cannot address the complex, specialized needs of enterprise customers.” Geekee continues, “Regional and vertical applications require enhanced APIs that extend standards .”
For CSPs to truly monetize their network investments, they must leverage standard API exposures and offer ability to author new APIs to create unique value for vertical and regional enterprise customers through specialization. As highlighted in Shabodi’s strategic framework whitepaper, enterprises—particularly in industrial settings—require customized capabilities that leverage standard offerings and also offer specialized APIs to meet the vertical use case needs.
The Power of Authored APIs
The manufacturing use case demonstrated at MWC illustrates this perfectly. Consider the complex sensor management challenges faced by industrial manufacturers:
- Multiple temperature sensors across vast facilities generating frequent alerts
- Challenges in determining if alarms indicate genuine issues or security breaches
- Difficulty in precisely locating temperature anomalies
- False alarms from adjacent sensors detecting residual changes
These challenges can’t be addressed with off-the-shelf API solutions. Shabodi’s NetAware platform enabled the creation of a comprehensive, automated monitoring and response system that combined standard CAMARA-compliant APIs with custom authored APIs specifically designed for manufacturing environments. Furthermore, because sensors and controllers can’t call multiple bespoke APIs, this use case required a single network API for the sensor management system to call, which in turn invoked several specific APIs that solved their challenges. The NetAware platform greatly simplified this process, resulting in a robust solution that was operational in a matter of days, versus the months it would have taken if built from scratch.
The Four-Phase Response System
The solution implemented a sophisticated four-phase response system:
- Alert Phase: Uses RetrieveLocation API, Reachability Subscription API, and Device Reachability Status API to identify and validate alerts
- Isolate Phase: Employs custom “Detect Fraud” API (authored using NetAware) alongside KYC Match API, Device Swap API, and Roaming Status API
- Analyze Phase: Utilizes GeoReference API, Device Density Insights API, and Location Status Insights API
- Corrective Actions Phase: Implements several authored APIs including Live Streaming QoD, Secured Geo-Restricted QoD, and Device-Restricted QoD
This integration of standard and authored APIs delivered impressive results, including decreased false alarm investigations, minimized unnecessary production line shutdowns, reduced average response time, and improved security through multi-layer authentication.
Monetizing the Multi-Industry Opportunity
While manufacturing provides a compelling use case, Shabodi’s approach applies across multiple sectors:
- Public Safety: Guaranteeing service quality for emergency dispatch systems remote medical mentors
- Airports: Prioritizing bandwidth for security surveillance and reliable communications
- Transportation: Facilitating container tracking systems that maintain continuous connectivity
- Sports Venues: Enabling high-quality broadcast streaming in crowded environments
According to industry projections cited in Shabodi’s white paper, the market for network APIs is expected to reach $22 billion by 2030, with different verticals representing significant opportunities—healthcare ($20-70B), manufacturing ($15-45B), and media/entertainment ($15-45B).
Conclusion
As CSPs navigate the evolving network API landscape, the ability to author customized APIs represents a critical differentiator. Shabodi’s NetAware platform empowers operators to leverage standard CAMARA offerings and create tailored solutions through authored APIs that address specific enterprise challenges.
The demonstration at MWC Barcelona 2025 showcased how this approach can transform manufacturing operations, but the potential extends to any industry where application performance, security, and reliability are paramount. By embracing authored APIs alongside standard implementations, operators can accelerate their journey to network API monetization and capture their share of this growing market opportunity.
To learn more about how to implement a successful network API strategy that creates opportunities with enterprise, download our whitepaper, “Maximizing 5G Investment: A Strategic Framework for Network API Implementation.”
