Got it. So you need an Internet connection to take advantage of the API's.The controller doesn't expose an API directly, it only maintains an MQTT connection with our servers.
You send us the API command, we send the MQTT command to your device.
Perhaps this simple flowchart can help explain a little better:
Modnote: Edited to enlarge image
(I was hoping for a direct connection ... and implementation of claims based auth or something of the sort ...)