The process of allowing applications to communicate and share data is called cloud integration. This is not just about integrating a few specific applications. The idea is to create or adopt a set of tools which removes digital barriers for users. The tools must be able to integrate everything on the cloud and on the premises, and even applications and data storage solutions that the company may use in future.
The reason such solutions are required is because no company ever moves lock, stock and barrel into the cloud. Most still have storage solutions in-house and on the premises for precious data, while applications and the remaining IT infrastructure are being moved into clouds piece by piece. This creates walled off data silos which are unable to "talk" to each other, leaving users accessing each one separately.
The solution requires a mechanism that will securely import data, make it available to all applications, and keep it synchronized with on-premise databases. This can be implemented in three ways, with the choice depending on a whole lot of factors. For instance, IT manpower and resources, size of the company and the scope of the deployment all have to be considered.
The traditional way of integrating applications on an enterprise level was to build connectors on-premises. Most organizations had already integrated all the enterprise applications available to users on the premises. It was not that hard to extend this capability to applications hosted on clouds or being accessed from a SaaS provider.
The next logical evolution of the traditional method was to move the tools up into the cloud. Pre-developed tools may simply be hosted, or a PaaS provider can be used to develop them on the cloud. Either way, this is ideal for an organization that wants to retain development capabilities and control while at the same time eliminating the required hardware.
There are now SaaS providers that allow clients to use pre-developed tools as a service. This means the tools do not have to be developed or maintained, removing PaaS from the equation. All a company has to do now is to pay for use of a tool, with no other IT resources or investments required. This is just about ideal for customers who need this done quickly and without a big budget.
The SaaS option seems seductive enough for anyone, but large corporate customers which have a standardized system for integrating applications will need something a bit more customized. It can still work if the deployment is limited to a single division. Small and medium-sized companies will find it much better to roll with SaaS than reinvent the wheel in-house.
It is important to consider all current and future needs before signing off on the dotted line with a cloud integration solution provider. It's increasingly likely for a growing company to end up with multiple applications hosted on separate clouds, so the tool needs to integrate across clouds. There has to be a clear deadline for the project, and user training needs have to be clarified. A lot of solutions that look good on paper have failed during implementation because of delays or hapless users unaware of the true potential of the newly integrated applications.
The reason such solutions are required is because no company ever moves lock, stock and barrel into the cloud. Most still have storage solutions in-house and on the premises for precious data, while applications and the remaining IT infrastructure are being moved into clouds piece by piece. This creates walled off data silos which are unable to "talk" to each other, leaving users accessing each one separately.
The solution requires a mechanism that will securely import data, make it available to all applications, and keep it synchronized with on-premise databases. This can be implemented in three ways, with the choice depending on a whole lot of factors. For instance, IT manpower and resources, size of the company and the scope of the deployment all have to be considered.
The traditional way of integrating applications on an enterprise level was to build connectors on-premises. Most organizations had already integrated all the enterprise applications available to users on the premises. It was not that hard to extend this capability to applications hosted on clouds or being accessed from a SaaS provider.
The next logical evolution of the traditional method was to move the tools up into the cloud. Pre-developed tools may simply be hosted, or a PaaS provider can be used to develop them on the cloud. Either way, this is ideal for an organization that wants to retain development capabilities and control while at the same time eliminating the required hardware.
There are now SaaS providers that allow clients to use pre-developed tools as a service. This means the tools do not have to be developed or maintained, removing PaaS from the equation. All a company has to do now is to pay for use of a tool, with no other IT resources or investments required. This is just about ideal for customers who need this done quickly and without a big budget.
The SaaS option seems seductive enough for anyone, but large corporate customers which have a standardized system for integrating applications will need something a bit more customized. It can still work if the deployment is limited to a single division. Small and medium-sized companies will find it much better to roll with SaaS than reinvent the wheel in-house.
It is important to consider all current and future needs before signing off on the dotted line with a cloud integration solution provider. It's increasingly likely for a growing company to end up with multiple applications hosted on separate clouds, so the tool needs to integrate across clouds. There has to be a clear deadline for the project, and user training needs have to be clarified. A lot of solutions that look good on paper have failed during implementation because of delays or hapless users unaware of the true potential of the newly integrated applications.
About the Author:
Peggie K. Lambert loves working and studying the industry of data integration. If you are looking to learn more about integration as a service then she recommends you refer to Liaison.. Free reprint available from: Introduction To Cloud Integration And Its Types.
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