Integration Platform as a Service for the Common Good

The average enterprise today has hundreds cloud applications used by various parts of the organization but fewer than 20 of those are officially supported by the IT team. Add to that the internal tools, databases and various interfaces inputting and extracting data. None of these interfaces, applications or systems natively talk to each other, causing every line of business to turn to IT to make it all work. Like many teams, the IT team can be so bogged down with requests from internal stakeholders that they find themselves only able to react to business demands rather than driving proactive technological innovation.

There are lots of things for an organization to cobble together: microservices, IoT devices, business SaaS applications, databases (legacy or not), and different devices. These systems might operate on different business logic and were not built to work together. Building connections between varied systems can be difficult with a traditional architecture. But with so many diverse systems, the traditional model may not work. The legacy approach of direct, explicit couplings of these disparate touchpoints is simply too complicated. An integration platform approach provides a central yet flexible routing center to build integrations at scale.

If this is the situation you’re finding your team in enter an integration technology that is going to help you get control over your infrastructure, while servicing your internal stakeholders at a rate that doesn’t impede business. Integration platform as a service (iPaaS) is a technology that can be beneficial for both the IT team and lines of business users who are seeking to connect disparate data sources or applications.

iPaaS consists of a set of cloud-based tools that enables software engineers to deploy, manage, govern and integrate applications and services. An iPaaS works as a one-time connection to the platform which then simplifies each subsequent integration. The right integration platform will come pre-configured with many commonly used business applications and a low setup cost for on-premises or first party services.

Why iPaaS? 5 Reasons Why

1.    iPaaS bridges the gap between data and action by connecting systems to applications of value
2.    iPaaS simplifies processes, making it easier to query and communicate with APIs
3.    iPaaS minimizes additional work by setting the groundwork that produces integrations 
4.    iPaaS reduces costs by allowing you to switch programs in and out 
5.    iPaaS empowers end users by letting them use the technologies they want to use to do their jobs 

If rapidly changing and increasing customer demands are outpacing your IT team’s ability to deliver at an acceptable rate or you are trying to manage customer data arriving at high speeds from many channels in varying volumes…

…then an iPaaS platform might be for you!