Integration platform as a service (iPaaS) enables creation and deployment of integration points to transfer data between business applications. Atul Gupta, founder and chief executive officer, InSync Tech-Fin Solutions, discusses with Deepshikha Shukla how adoption of iPaaS has changed the integration game.
Q. What technologies are getting embedded with iPaaS?
A. iPaaS is a suite of cloud services that enables the development of integration logic to seamlessly send data from one application to another, involving a varied set of environments, protocols, applications, etc. It helps design, develops and maintain business process data flows from the cloud.
Q. How can hybrid and cloud integration help in real-time processes?
A. iPaaS has cloud and hybrid integration offerings. If a business uses services from two or more cloud vendors, these can be connected through cloud integration.
What makes hybrid integration unique is that it can connect on-premise, private cloud and public cloud services, and ensure that sensitive data remains on-premise. This allows full control over data and streamlines real-time business processes by making systems talk to each other. iPaaS is a necessary component of doing business in the modern digital era.
Q. How does service-oriented architecture accelerate performance?
A. Each business application targets a specific business problem and addresses it with features and functionalities. With changing business needs and many dependent modules, it is difficult to manage a large set of functions. A complete decoupling of functionality at the core of the business application allows testability, helps in better management, agility and so on.
To cope with scalable business needs, service-oriented architecture is a primary need. Our APPSeCONNECT iPaaS platform is built using service-oriented architecture and gives agility to the application, fewer bugs, better change management, continuous delivery and, hence, accelerates business performance.
Q. What is the role of microservices in streaming enterprise procedures?
A. Application programming interface (API)-led connectivity is a methodical approach for integration. It provides the speed organisations want. Microservices help in streamlining enterprise procedures with the right mix of agility and reliability. These can be described as small and segmented procedures independent from one another. The beauty lies in their self-sufficient execution, coupled with the ability to communicate using language-agnostic APIs.
Q. How does iPaaS impact operational costs?
A. A business uses multiple applications to manage its processes. In doing so, one organisation becomes many organisations in terms of the data going into them and the manpower managing these applications. This leads to redundancy and errors, which hurts the business.
iPaaS connects discrete applications to work as one, thus saving effort and directly impacting the operational cost. It can significantly reduce the gap between data entry and business intelligence, which leads to improved decision making.
Q. What are the strengths of iPaaS?
A. iPaaS is an independent platform that communicates with a host of business applications to integrate them and move critical business data across the entire process flow. It saves a lot of time and involves lesser manual intervention. It manages and centralises important business data spread across different solutions/platforms within an organisation—it creates a centralised information and data hub.
iPaaS is also a highly-scalable solution that can fit any business and help the owner gain a competitive edge. It provides the user with the chance to spend more time on selling and less on managing, ensuring higher levels of customer satisfaction. By giving full control over data, offering automated bi-directional data sync and working with an easy-to-use platform, iPaaS is a necessary tool for any business.
Q. What are the challenges with iPaaS?
A. One key challenge is to identify and quantify what the integration must accomplish. Businesses need to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different iPaaS solutions before choosing one. One way to tackle this is to choose a vendor that offers post-sales support.
There are a few complications with iPaaS. Since it is a developer-centric solution, it can be complicated for first-time/non-technical users. Also, hiring a dedicated professional for the management and maintenance of iPaaS is recommended.
Employing iPaaS is expensive. Total cost, however, depends on requirements.
Q. What are the key features of APPSeCONNECT iPaaS?
A. It offers real-time connectivity, centralised data management, API management, integration workflow designer, full SDK support and business decision engine.
Q. Which sectors can see high adaptability of iPaaS?
A. The global iPaaS market is accelerating. Increasing use of cloud computing applications, cloud-based applications and enterprise applications are responsible for its growth. Both SMEs and large enterprises are deploying cloud-based services to store and manage their business-critical data, leading to the adaptability of iPaaS and growth of this sector.
