Cloud technologies are a crucial investment for organizations of all sizes and industries. To achieve business-oriented outcomes, companies require a blend of enterprise and cloud-based applications. Therefore, they need state-of-the-art cloud integration solutions that can seamlessly unify diverse cloud and on-premise data sources. Hence, companies must adopt cloud-based integration at some point to keep up with the latest technological advancements.
In a world engulfed by cloud technology, cloud integration platforms support businesses in more ways than one.
A cloud integration platform is a service that provides the tools and technology to enable the integration of local, on-premise data and applications with cloud-based systems. This automated platform eliminates the need for error-prone manual integrations, verifications, and data transformations.
But what’s the purpose of data integration? Every business in this advanced digital age relies heavily on data as it is omnipresent and intricately woven into everything they do. However, most companies have data stored in disparately-located silos, making it complex to access specific data when necessary. This is where data integration comes in.
Data integration unifies all the data onto a single cloud-based platform, eliminates the need for data silos, and streamlines business processes. With a unified cloud integration solution, companies can effectively manage their data or leverage insights to make informed decisions. Additionally, a cloud integration solution helps ensure data is secure, compliant, and accessible across multiple locations.
In this data-centric scenario, iPaaS has become a commonly used term.
iPaaS is short for Integration Platform as a Service. This cloud-based service has all the automation tools and technology needed to integrate your data and applications across disparate cloud and on-premise environments. iPaaS effectively eliminates the need for middleware installation. Instead, it is fully equipped to build and deploy cloud-based integrations.
Some of the commonly used tools in iPaaS include:
Apart from these tools, iPaaS also has the following attributes:
Integration Platform as a Service comes in various types, such as:
With many options, choosing an iPaaS that suits your requirements can be pretty daunting. Here are some criteria that you should consider to pick the right iPaaS or any cloud integration solution.
1. Protection of data in transit
Data protection is imperative for security and compliance purposes. Data in transit is highly vulnerable to risks. It can be intercepted and used by malicious actors. Moreover, data at rest can be manipulated by those with access to the system. The platform can ensure users' data is secure by protecting data in transit and at rest.
2. Data migration in real-time or batches
Batch data integration is practical when you want to simultaneously move large amounts of data. Real-time data integration is useful when you want to transfer data as soon as it is available.
3. Pre-built connectors to add new services
An excellent platform comes with pre-built connectors that allow you to add new services and handle environments with a high degree of complexity.
4. Easy deployment and scalability
An iPaaS should be able to function seamlessly without custom codes and make the integration manageable.
5. Easy task automation
One of the prime purposes of data integration is to do away with mundane, error-prone tasks. A fully-automated iPaaS should enable easy integration of online services, process automation, etc.
6. Governance in balance
Using a single platform for all types of data transformation offers significant business benefits over outdated, disparate systems. Cloud integration platforms that provide managed security are especially devoted to securing their clients' data. The ability to monitor, observe, and detect threats is built into iPaaS.
7. iPaaS expenses
In-house integration platforms won't burn a hole in your pocket. What will actually strain your budget are maintenance and customization costs, advanced data formats, and communication protocols. As data integration becomes more complex, you must bear additional costs to train and upskill your employees. So choose a managed iPaaS model that eliminates in-house development costs.
8. Well-documented infrastructure
For several reasons, you need an iPaaS with a well-documented, extensive infrastructure operated by a large team. Their capability allows them to minimize downtime for your business and improve integration efficiency. Due to iPaaS providers monitoring and updating integrations, infrastructure, and API changes are no longer a significant risk.
9. Data mapping efficiency
Users may not be tech-savvy. Hence, many prefer user-friendly, easy-to-implement mapping and transformation processes. Many data and business analysts need data on the go, so the process needs to be robust and easy to implement.
10. Security and regulatory compliance
An iPaaS centralized platform should make it easy to identify common security vulnerabilities in cloud integration platforms. Besides identifying threats, the platform should be robust enough to respond appropriately. Being GDPR-compliant is another major prerequisite.
11. Generic framework
Check if your iPaaS allows you to add services as your business requirements expand. It should be capable of supporting all data transfer protocols since some data implementations require substantial effort. Besides, without the support of a generic framework, it can be challenging to complete integrations from disparate sources. Therefore, cloud integration platforms must be able to accommodate many applications to support generic protocols.
12. Minimum development time
It is possible to integrate IPaaS solutions with minimum hand-coding by using low-code/no-code capabilities allowing developers can quickly build system-specific integrations. Moreover, choosing an iPaaS provider with built-in connectors is an additional advantage for application integration, whether from the cloud, web, or on-premise.
Cloud integration platforms will play a central role as companies produce more data. Integration Platform as a Service will help you in:
Hence, choosing the right cloud integration platform will push your cloud-based efforts in the right direction. Get in touch with team Trueloader today to get started.
