Integration is a critical aspect of every business, and choosing the right Integration Platform-as-a-Service (iPaaS) is vital for organizations looking to accelerate their digital efforts. To select the most suitable iPaaS vendor, it is essential to understand the evolution of iPaaS and the differences between modern and tactical solutions.

iPaaS: Understanding its history

The advent of cloud applications led to the development of a new problem for organizations: data silos across systems and applications. To address this issue, developers initially resorted to writing custom code to connect information from one system to the next. However, this approach resulted in fragile, point-to-point architectures, which created more technical debt. This led to the rise of iPaaS, which is a suite of cloud services that connect any combination of cloud and on-premise technologies. iPaaS enabled businesses to connect data from separate applications, systems, and warehouses, thus breaking down data silos.

iPaaS was so impactful that in 2014, the IT consulting firm Gartner created a new category for iPaaS in their Magic Quadrant analyst reports. However, the rising appeal of iPaaS and the emergence of cloud architectures led to the development of several iPaaS solutions in the market. Some vendors attempted to repurpose old products, a phenomenon referred to as “cloud washing.” Unfortunately, these solutions perpetuated the issues with custom code, leading to a point-to-point architecture that created technical debt at an even faster rate.

Tactical iPaaS: Understanding the unexpected consequences

Modern iPaaS offers significant value to organizations by automating routine tasks for individual users with little to no DevOps required. However, many iPaaS vendors position themselves as enterprise solutions while the real value is only for individual users. It is important to realize that achieving seamless integration and intelligent automation does not simply depend on automating every task with little involvement from DevOps.

The ability to automate routine tasks can certainly increase productivity and efficiency for individual users. Still, it does not solve the problem of data silos across systems and applications. In contrast, efficient, effective, and cost-effective integration can be achieved by using seamless integration and intelligent automation to connect data from various systems and applications.

Many iPaaS solutions in the market aim to cut corners by repackaging old products, which results in a tactical iPaaS solution that perpetuates the issues with custom code. This approach creates technical debt, which can ultimately hinder the growth of a business. Therefore, it is crucial to select a modern iPaaS solution that enables seamless integration and intelligent automation and addresses the issue of data silos while also reducing technical debt.

While automating routine tasks is essential, it is crucial to recognize that the real value of iPaaS lies in seamless integration and intelligent automation. Selecting a modern iPaaS solution that delivers these capabilities while reducing technical debt can significantly accelerate a business’s digital efforts and provide a competitive edge.

Understanding Point-To-Point integration

Point-to-point integration is an integrated approach that involves connecting two systems directly to each other using custom code or pre-built connectors. This method is typically used in the early stages of a company’s growth when they have a small number of systems to integrate. The goal of point-to-point integration is to enable the transfer of data from one system to another with minimal cost and complexity.

The advantage of P2P integration is that it is a simple approach that requires no additional software. This makes it an attractive solution for small businesses with limited IT resources. However, as a company grows and the number of systems they use increases, point-to-point integration can become problematic.

One major issue with point-to-point integration is that it can lead to a fragmented IT landscape with data silos. Each new integration adds another point-to-point connection, making it increasingly difficult to manage and maintain the connections between systems. This can lead to data inconsistencies, errors, and delays in data processing.

Another issue with point-to-point integration is that it can create technical debt. As more systems are added and more point-to-point connections are created, the complexity of the integrations increases. This makes it more difficult to maintain and update the integrations, and it can also make it harder to add new systems in the future.

P2P integration is a useful approach for small businesses with limited resources and a small number of systems to integrate. However, as a company grows and the number of systems they use increases, point-to-point integration can become problematic and lead to a fragmented IT landscape with data silos and technical debt. Companies need to shift their integration strategy from tactical to modern to keep pace with the demands of growth.

P2P integration impact on the infrastructure

Enhanced Complexity:
As businesses grow, the complexity of their IT architecture increases, and integrating with partners becomes crucial for their business model. However, relying on point-to-point connections becomes problematic as the number of architectural components increases. It may seem manageable with only a few systems, but the number of connections required to integrate a larger number of components increases exponentially. This exponential increase in complexity makes it challenging to manage and maintain, leading to potential integration issues and increased costs. Companies need to consider alternative integration solutions to avoid these issues and ensure scalability as they grow.