Author
February 2, 2022
Integrations have always been a major challenge in the information technology world. But where, in the past, integration issues were specific to certain use cases, today they affect companies of all sizes across all industries. No longer simply a convenience, integrations now must connect in a dynamic, flexible way as they play a critical role in the success (or failure) of digital transformations that businesses need to compete.
This need for dynamism is a requirement in today’s infrastructure. But it is not included in the traditional approach to APIs — meaning they fall short when trying to keep pace with changing technology.
Yes, in the past, integration solutions have been achieved without addressing the flexibility problem. The Enterprise Service Bus, for example, replaced specific activities and added a layer of governance to the integration process. But traditional integration solutions have never yielded the dynamic flexibility that is now mandatory.
A Medium Between Worlds
API management emerged as a concept aimed at simplifying integrations and freeing applications from siloed, monolithic architecture with a language to facilitate communications between systems. It offered improvements in governance, security, and documentation.
It’s not a coincidence that most organizations today employ API management to modernize system integration architecture, in most cases deploying an API gateway to securely connect internal assets and provide a common standard for both customers and partners accessing data via APIs. The API gateway offers a medium between internal and external worlds, but its fundamental purpose was never to create an end-to-end connection between them.
When companies rely on API gateways to serve as integrators, they exceed the scope of the original tool, and the result is almost inevitably failure under the strain.
The Need for a Current Integration Strategy
The thin outer layer created by the API gateway does not, on its own, address the need for end-to-end integration between dynamic endpoints. More is needed.
As companies expand their scope to include new internal processes, external cloud systems, and partner ecosystems, it becomes increasingly critical to deal with the exponential increase in the volume of integration points and barriers to reconnecting services. These new requirements demand a new type of architecture — one that can deal with the dynamic nature of digital connections and recognize that integrations occur in multiple, interconnected spaces. Fortunately, these solutions already exist.
API vs Integration: The Enterprise iPaaS Solution
An enterprise integration platform-as-a-service solution (iPaaS) allows organizations to develop, secure, and manage integration flows that connect disparate applications, systems, services, and databases, simplifying every aspect of system integration:
| API Management Only | Digibee iPaaS | |
|---|---|---|
| Facilitates rapid API creation and lifecycle management to support a variety of use cases | X | X |
| Offers an intuitive visual interface based on low-code concepts to abstract integration complexity | X | |
| Includes ready-to-use components to reduce the effort and time needed to complete tasks | X | |
| Employs new technologies (like Kubernetes) to scale according to demand with high levels of resilience | X | |
| Secures data across hybrid environments with different user roles, encryption tools and privileged credentials | X | |
| Serves as an accelerator, freeing development teams to dedicate themselves to innovation | X |
This type of platform covers and replaces the key features of traditional integration scenarios like Message Queues, Service Bus, and File Management to reduce or eliminate friction that occurs when connecting any type of IT asset, legacy or not. Enterprise iPaaS offers a truly efficient strategy: using all available tools to solve purely technological needs while facilitating more effective use of human and financial resources.
Could iPaaS for Enterprise be Right for You?
The benefits of a modern integration platform over traditional approaches or reliance on overstretched tools can’t be understated. But if you’re not sure between an enterprise iPaaS and an API management solution for your company, consider the following as you weigh your options:
- What is your organization trying to achieve with integration?
- Will your strategy serve your business as it grows (or is it simply a short-term fix)?
- Is there a deadline for your integration goals (and if so, what will happen if you fail to meet it)?
- How much are you prepared to invest upfront in integration? And what is your budget for ongoing operations, maintenance, and upgrades?
- Is your existing team able to support your strategy (and is there a better use of their time)?
Digibee’s innovative iPaaS helps your company address integration issues more efficiently than any other solution on the market. Our visual drag-and-drop interface empowers team members of all technical skill levels to create integrations up to ten times faster than other tools, and our automated, data- and system-agnostic pipelines are scalable and resilient to ensure your business is ready for anything.
To learn more about iPaaS and if it might be right for your organization, book a demo now.
