There is a lot of hype around Cloud Integration at the
moment and perhaps most of you already know or have an idea of what it is, but
I thought I would write a few words anyway and explain what benefits can be achieved
with this approach to data integration.
In the old days (or a few years ago) data integration
software was mainly hosted on-premise and external electronic B2B transactions
were sent via value-added networks
(VANs). For traditional EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) transactions this
still seem to be the de facto standard used.
However, with the emergence of more SaaS
(Software-as-a-Service) offerings such as Salesforce.com and others, the requirement
arose for a simple way to interchange data with other systems, such as internal
legacy systems, and cloud based integration was born.
Cloud based integration may not solve all problems when it
comes to data integration, but it is definitely a step in the right direction,
with many benefits over the traditional in-house approach. Most Cloud
integration vendors are offering features such as:
-
Elastic infrastructure that allows for seamless scalability
with increase in demand
-
Pre-built Connectors for many software packages
means significantly less development
-
Subscription based pricing means you only pay
for what you use
-
Secure and encrypted data traffic removes the
requirements of VAN infrastructure
-
Highly resilient with built-in redundancy
-
Web based monitoring from anywhere
-
Multiple data centres across the globe for increased
speed and performance
With Cloud based integration, better networks and higher transfer
speeds, I think we will see a lot more of real-time global enterprise data
traffic where geographical boundaries will play a less significant role and diverse
applications are instantly exchanging information across the world as changes occur.
About the Author
Mathias Wallgren has worked with data integration and EDI for the
past 15 years, both overseas and locally.
He currently works with Integration Wizards, specializing in
Infor M3 MEC™, Infor ION™ and JitterBit Cloud Integration Platform.
