IPaaS: Integration in the Cloud
As the cloud and cloud-based services gather more and more traction within the enterprise technology world, it’s hard to think of a software solution or platform not making the move to the web. The transformation in software hosting towards the cloud is hardly a surprise—web-based instances provide every business with a scalability, reliability and ease of implementation and use that on-site hosting just hasn’t been able to keep up with. So what’s the next big thing in cloud software? IPaaS: the buzzy tech acronym for Integration Platform as a Service. Although it’s still relatively new on the horizon, web-based integration platforms are an inevitable addition to the arsenal of cloud software tools, especially as more vendors and clients are transitioning to SaaS and need a similarly cost effective and easily implemented solution to integrate those systems. Returning readers will know that we are not quiet about the necessity of enterprise software integration on this blog and the huge revenue-creating and cost-cutting benefits. Hosting an integration in the cloud will amplify the assets of integration even further; syncing up your key information and processes in the cloud so that they can be accessed anywhere.
If the trend of cloud-based enterprise technology continues at the same pace it’s currently going, there’s no denying that web-based integration solutions will truly define the landscape of interconnected enterprise software going forward. Here’s why you should get in on integration in the cloud and consider IPaaS for your next software integration project.
Why Integrate in the Cloud?
Time and Cost Savings
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- Where traditional, on-premise software integration projects can take months of dedicated work and increased investment dollars with every customization or add-on, integration in the cloud can take days and accommodate your needs much more cost-effectively. Integration of new systems or an increase in storage space requires little more than some work on your current integration platform online, not an on-site customization visit. Your IPaaS vendor will take care of the maintenance and storage of your interconnected data, giving your employees their time back to focus on the critical tasks they were hired to do.
Ease of Use
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- A web-based integrator is instantly more scalable and customizable than an on-premise project. You don’t need a lengthy planning process and a huge project team just to get your integration off the ground. With integration in the cloud your platform is deployed rapidly and instantly used intuitively, and will synchronize your enterprise data with little to no work on your end. Post-deployment, that platform should be doing all the work for you so that your applications are sharing all the data and inputs instantaneously. Dual entry of data will be a thing of the past for your company once you have completed integration in the cloud, meaning you will both have less work and fewer data errors overall.
Single Source of Truth
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- Integration in the cloud allows you to host all of your most critical enterprise data in the same place. As these applications share data through the web; so syncing happens seamlessly and quickly. Immediately you will have single source of truth for all of your business’ data and software processes and a reference point for any customer or stakeholder query. You can truly generate a 360 degree view of your customer and sales process from end-to-end, a valuable insight into your target market and the inventory and scheduling required to meet demand and keep your customers happy.
Invisible to End Users
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- The best IPaaS solutions are invisible to their users; only detectable when you need them to be. Once the platform is deployed, it should be able to sync all of your CRM and ERP data discretely and constantly. The integration platform will work its magic behind the scenes until you need a certain piece of data, or want to create a report using information from your combined CRM and ERP. Moreover, If you need support; it’s available directly through the web whenever you need it. Your IPaaS vendor will be staffed with experts that have in-depth experience with your software and their own connector, who can then do all their troubleshooting through the web. Because support teams can access your integration platform instance from wherever they are, there’s no need for on-site visits for support or add-ons of new features.
Connect Differently Hosted Software
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- Some businesses may shy away from an IPaaS solution because they rely solely on premise services or a combination of cloud and on-site software that they need to integrate, thinking that integration in the cloud requires every application to be located on the web. It’s not so; IPaaS has the ability to connect any number of on or off-site systems or data—your information will be synced and accessible within the cloud, even if your software is not. Integration in the cloud is a natural solution for businesses who are looking to move their processes into the cloud but still have an enterprise system on-site, or for companies who have multiple offices or subsidiaries that need to sync up quickly. Because it is hosted in the web, integration in the cloud is inherently flexible and able to fit whatever business processes you need to align, wherever those processes themselves may be hosted.
Wrap Up
IPaaS may just sound like another hyped-up trending technology concept; but integration in the cloud is truly the next frontier of enterprise software. Web-based connectors promise to open the huge range of benefits of software integration to small and midsize business through their ease of use, speed and cost effectiveness. The emerging popularity of cloud integration solutions are just another sign that the future is that of the interconnected enterprise; where every process and employee within a business is communicating, collaborating and working through the same platforms to drive revenue and carry out the mission of the company.
If you’re looking to connect your ERP software with a CRM system, get in touch with an expert at Datix today. We are the only certified partner of Epicor, Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics CRM that also provides our own integration platform, Datix Unity for connecting a multitude of CRM and ERP systems. We know all of these systems inside and out, and have years of experience with connecting them.