Nov 13 (Reuters) - Nokia said on Wednesday it

had bought the world's largest application programming interface

(API) hub and marketplace from U.S. company Rapid as it seeks to

boost revenues from its 5G and 4G networks.

Like other telecom gear makers, Finland's Nokia has been

looking for ways to monetise its 5G equipment or diversify its

market, as it hopes to attract investments linked to the rise of

artificial intelligence.

Nokia said it will own the U.S. tech start-up's technology

and research and development unit under the deal, enabling its

clients to integrate their networks, control their API usage and

collaborate with the platform's developer base.

API are strings of code which enable standardized

communication, exchange of data and functionality between

software components.

Their use on advanced 5G networks provides faster, safer and

more accurate access to data such as a users' location or

connectivity status.

Nokia did not disclose financial details of the deal.