IBM Unveils DataPower Nano Gateway and AI Developer Studio for API Connect

October 6, 2025

Details

  • IBM has introduced two new API Connect features: DataPower Nano Gateway, an ultra-lightweight application-level gateway with millisecond startup speeds, and API Developer Studio, an AI-powered platform for unified API development and management.
  • These capabilities are aimed at API developers, architects, and technology strategists operating within hybrid cloud environments, and they integrate with IBM’s webMethods Hybrid Integration platform for enterprise-grade governance.
  • DataPower Nano Gateway supports declarative CI/CD workflows, key security protocols like JWT validation, robust traffic management, and OpenTelemetry for observability, while API Developer Studio uses AI to assist in API creation, manage policy configuration, and generate automated test cases in a code-centric workflow.
  • The offerings expand on IBM’s API Connect v10, known for high-performance gateways and GraphQL support, directly addressing the needs of agentic AI workflows and evolving application patterns.
  • Preview users have praised the tools’ cloud-native readiness and simplified user experience, with benchmarks showing sub-10-millisecond latency and minimal memory requirements, optimized for microservices auto-scaling and fault isolation.

Impact

With generative AI driving unprecedented API proliferation, IBM’s new tools arrive as enterprises prioritize seamless API development and governance. Gartner predicts APIs will underpin over 90% of business innovation by 2025, making IBM’s AI-powered approach a timely response to a growing market. The move positions IBM competitively, offering unique AI-driven features as rivals have yet to showcase comparable, integrated solutions in API management.

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