AzureFeeds

APIs are the engines of modern digital experiences, powering everything from mobile apps to AI copilots. As AI reshapes products, experiences and workflows, APIs have become essential infrastructure. But without the right management strategy, managing APIs at scale can introduce complexity, security risks, and inefficiencies.

That’s where Azure API Management comes in. It’s a fully managed service that helps you publish, secure, monitor, and scale APIs across clouds, on-premises, and hybrid environments. With deep integration across the Microsoft ecosystem — including Azure OpenAI Service, GitHub Copilot, and Microsoft Defender for APIs — it delivers unmatched efficiency and value.

Bottom line? A 315% ROI, according to a Forrester study.

To quantify the business impact, in 2025 Microsoft commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study. The study evaluated the costs, benefits, and risks of adopting Azure API Management, based on interviews with decision-makers from seven organizations across financial services, manufacturing, financial technology, and consumer goods sectors.

Forrester created a composite organization modeled after these interviews, a $1B global enterprise based in North America, and the results were compelling: 315% ROI over three years driven by faster time to market, reduced legacy costs, improved developer productivity, and preparation for AI and the future.

From legacy bottlenecks to agile innovation

Before adopting Azure API Management, the organizations faced common challenges:

• Complex, siloed systems


• High integration and maintenance costs


• Low API reuse and poor discoverability


• Inefficient development cycles


• Starting API programs with limited internal support


• Azure API Management helped them turn these challenges into opportunities.

Key quantified benefits over three years

Based on interviews and Forrester’s financial model, the composite organization experienced the following top benefits:

30% more efficient API development and 50% more efficient policy configuration

Developers saved more than a week per API and an hour per policy, enabling them to reallocate time to higher-value tasks.
Total value: $679,000

“[With our prior solution,] it took three to four weeks of development. With Azure API Management, it is one week of development. That is the difference.”

Principal architect, manufacturing

5%+ improvement in API and policy reuse

With Azure API Management and Azure API Center, the composite organization increases its reuse of APIs and API policies. It consolidates and tracks all the APIs it creates, which improves discovery and allows its developers to reuse APIs and API policies instead of creating new ones. Over three years, this translates to $352,000 for the composite organization.

“Azure API Management is a good tool. It does what it is supposed to do well, and it works well with the Azure ecosystem. We are happy, and we are investing heavily to use it more.”

Director of data platforms and services, financial technology

80% boost in API management and support productivity

Compared to legacy systems, platform engineers recaptured over 12 hours per API per year, enabling a shift to more strategic work.
Total value: $370,000

“Every hour saved with Azure API Management is a leverage for a new business case.”

Senior engineering manager, financial services

50% faster time to market, accelerating operating profit

Instead of taking three months to bring an API initiative to market, the composite organization does this twice as fast in 1.5 months with Azure API Management. Because the developers and IT professionals work more efficiently, the composite earns additional months of recurring revenue and achieves its API-related business goals more quickly. Over three years, this benefit is worth $1.5 million to the composite organization.

$190K+ saved annually from retiring legacy infrastructure

By adopting Azure API Management and modernizing, the composite organization progressively retires and consolidates legacy hardware and software. These yield cost savings it can reinvest in other initiatives. Over three years, this benefit is worth $568,000 to the composite organization.

Strategic advantages beyond the numbers

While the quantifiable results are impressive, customers also shared unquantified but critical benefits:

• Stronger security and governance across hybrid and multi-cloud environments


• Greater API resilience with less downtime and smoother experiences


• Improved developer experience and higher satisfaction across engineering teams


• AI lifecycle governance, with Azure API Management acting as a centralized AI gateway


• Seamless integration across the Microsoft ecosystem, boosting innovation and productivity

Improved AI governance and visibility with a centralized gateway

As generative AI becomes core to digital transformation, organizations must not only innovate quickly — they must govern AI usage with precision and responsibility. Interviewees emphasized how Azure API Management acted as a centralized AI gateway, helping them securely manage the rising complexity of AI-driven apps.

With Azure API Management, they gained:

• Full visibility into generative AI usage across teams and apps


• Rate-limiting and throttling, preventing unexpected costs or misuse


• Centralized logging and monitoring for compliance and oversight


• Consistent performance and low latency for AI-powered user experiences

“We have enforced rate-limiting in nonproduction environment. The rate limit helps us to control the usage pattern so that there is no excess usage with respect to APIs. Azure API Management provides visibility and traceability. That helps us to see the usage pattern and take proactive steps to communicate to the consumers [of AI].”
 — Cloud data architect, global consumer goods company

Strengthened security posture and simplified compliance

Modern digital infrastructure, especially with AI workloads, demands secure, reliable API exposure across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Organizations in the study reported that Azure API Management significantly improved their security posture and reduced operational risk.

Key benefits included:

• A single secure gateway to all APIs, reducing attack surface


• Always-on protection with automated patching, threat detection, and identity integration


• Built-in integrations with Microsoft security offerings including Microsoft Sentinel, enabling seamless SIEM visibility and faster incident response

“We created a single door to get to the APIs, It increased our security posture… [We are] twice as secure.”
 — Director of data platforms, financial technology firm

“[The cybersecurity team] is very excited about Azure API Management and it’s rare to say [that team] is excited about a solution. … Microsoft is responsible for keeping security patched,.. and the logs going to our SIEM solution are more seamless….”
 — Senior engineering manager, financial services company

These capabilities didn’t just make APIs safer. They also freed up time for engineering and security teams to focus on innovation instead of operational overhead.

A platform built for the future

Whether modernizing legacy infrastructure or launching a new API strategy, organizations used Azure API Management to leapfrog challenges and build intelligent, composable applications. The result? Faster time to value. Improved governance. Better developer experience. And a platform ready for the AI era.

“The main value is flexibility. Azure API Management is a very scalable and resilient solution. It integrates well with the Azure ecosystem, and it supports all the modern paradigms.”
 — Director of Data Platforms, FinTech

Ready to realize the impact?

Whether you’re modernizing legacy systems, building new digital experiences, or governing AI workloads, Azure API Management provides a trusted, enterprise-grade platform to support your strategy.

See how Azure API Management delivered 315% ROI — read the full Forrester TEI study.

Start building with Azure API Management — try it free today!