We have evaluated a few API management tools like WSO2 and Apigee.
The hard fact is that the level of REST architecture maturity of your back-end services made available on API Mgmt tool would decide how well your API design turns out to be on the much hyped API Management tools.
Which means you might end up re-writing your back-end services in case you would want to achieve a higher level of Maturity and API Management tools would be of no help there.
So my inference is API Management tools might help you manage, publicize or monitor your already designed API. Though these tools claim protocol mediation and light weight ESB features but that would make you digress from the original goal. And the practical implementation is not as seamless as the proponents of these tools make it sound.
I would rather use some ESB to implement well designed REST APIs and then use some API management tool for the purpose of managing and monitoring APIs.
And the irony is if your backend services are not well designed you would not leverage the API features to the best. Please share your thoughts on this?
Thanks, Wajid
I'd agree with your approach. I was recently involved in such an evaluation and we chose to ignore the features in those products aimed at 'constructing' APIs. We were looking for a product to publicize, manage access and monitor APIs, relying on backend systems to run the actual APIs. Effort on getting RESTful APIs is aimed at those backend teams..