Telekom commercially unveils network APIs

Deutsche Telekom has announced the commercial launch of network APIs, under the brand “MagentaBusiness API”. Developers and business customers can now build apps and services which communicate seamlessly with Deutsche Telekom’s network in Germany.

Vonage, a global leader in cloud communications helping businesses accelerate their digital transformation and a part of Ericsson, will provide the platform for the service.

The MagentaBusiness API platform powered by Vonage will serve as a “one-stop shop” for access to communications and network APIs. This allows developers and business customers to embed communication functions like video, voice, messaging and other capabilities into their products, applications, and workflows.

The platform further lowers the barriers to entry for network APIs and makes the service available to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), as well as corporate customers. MagentaBusiness API will be launched as a friendly adopter program.

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are software interfaces that facilitate the exchange of information between computer applications. These are standard in IT.

This commercial launch of network APIs, however, offers a direct interface to the Deutsche Telekom mobile network. The following three network APIs will be made available by the MagentaBusiness API Portal (powered by Vonage):

Quality-on-demand

This API allows an application to request a certain quality of service for a SIM card. Data can be transferred with stable latency or bandwidth, even under high load conditions in the network. Teleoperated driving, for example, requires low latency at all times for safety purposes. This was successfully showcased at the International Motor Show Germany together with partners from the automotive industry.

Device Status – Roaming

The Device Status – Roaming API will be implemented to determine whether or not a device is in international roaming mode, and in which country. This has use-cases for example in credit card fraud detection, where a banking app can instantly check whether a customer is likely to be making a payment abroad.

Device Location

The network can verify the location of a SIM card within the mobile network in Germany, independent of GPS availability. One successful trial with a major logistics company saw delivery vehicles tracked and routed to the correct loading ramp of a freight plane, increasing efficiency and minimizing the risk of delay.

"In the future, our network itself will enable new growth opportunities for businesses through APIs. We invite our customers to explore new use cases or optimize existing business processes by participating in our friendly adopter program," said Claudia Nemat, Board Member for Technology and Innovation at Deutsche Telekom. "Together with Vonage and Ericsson, we are the first to expose network APIs in a one-stop shop portal. APIs are a key strategic focus for Deutsche Telekom. This is underlined by our status as a founding member of the CAMARA alliance, which aims to make standardized APIs available internationally."

"We are excited to be working with Deutsche Telekom as our first strategic CSP partner. Together, Deutsche Telekom, Vonage and Ericsson will leverage our strengths to help companies enhance user experience and growth opportunities with both communications APIs and new network APIs," said Rory Read, Vonage CEO and SVP, Head of Business Area Global Communications Platform for Ericsson. "Consumers now expect flexible, intelligent communication with the brands they engage with, and the ability to communicate from anywhere, on any channel, is a key differentiator for CSPs and Enterprises. The combination of communications APIs and network APIs represents the next level of communication between businesses and their customers, and MagentaBusiness API offers the ability to build these secure, reliable and innovative experiences across industries and across the world."

Network APIs are defined and standardized by the CAMARA Initiative. It was announced by the GSMA in February 2022. It consists of network operators, technology providers, cloud providers, operating system providers and application developers, including both Deutsche Telekom and Ericsson.

The initiative aims to standardize network APIs globally. Quality-on-demand was the first network API to be standardized under the CAMARA initiative, and was demonstrated in collaboration with Ericsson and Vonage at the Mobile World Congress event earlier this year.