The choice of software for businesses is growing. Whether for customer or process management, social media or email marketing - there are separate applications for each task. That's why many companies rely on programmes from different platforms, which can lead not only to data loss due to confusion and the disjointed presentation of data, but also to information silos. So isn't it somehow possible to integrate these distributed systems and provide users with the best and most enjoyable experience possible?
This is where iPaaS ("Integration Platform as a Service") comes into play. In this article, we explain what you should know about iPaaS, how it works and what the advantages and disadvantages of the model are.
iPaaS can also transform your business integration by choosing the best iPaaS solution for you and your business.
Samantha Dixon
iPaaS stands for Integration Platform as a Service and was first introduced by the IT consulting firm Gartner. With the help of this cloud-based platform, companies can connect data, applications, processes and systems uniformly and clearly. IT and business processes can be seamlessly linked and operated without interruption.
IPaaS simplifies the integration work and makes it generally accessible. Entrepreneurs who want to use integrations thus need little or no programming knowledge.
Employees who take on this new role are called Citizen Integrators. This isan end-userwho can develop software without in-depth knowledge of programming languages. The focus is on integration between front-end and back-end or different apps.
iPaaS makes sense for your company if you want to retain control so that you can develop processes, mappings and configurations yourself, but also want to relieve your employees of time-consuming technical tasks. Topics such as security, data protection and operations are also covered by the cloud provider. This gives you as a company the opportunity to use your existing know-how effectively while retaining full flexibility and independence.
iPaaS thus offers you an uncomplicated, cost-effective solution for the company. So you don't have to develop new software yourself, the product can be integrated via the platform with a corresponding offer.
Here is a small example:
VisualMakers wants to offer a software to plan and manage no-code courses and send course reminders to inquisitive makers. After developing the software, Alex and Lilith think of a few additional features that would make the product much better: Alex would like to give inquisitive makers the ability to leave feedback for courses and Lilith is in favour of also being able to process payments through the system.
VisualMakers could either invest its scarce resources to expand the software's functionality, or it could turn to an iPaaS solution provider to integrate the product with existing assessment and payment software. The latter suits VisualMakers because it wants to offer the best deal to inquisitive makers - and without spending a lot of resources.
With iPaaS, a provider such as. Make, Zapier or Workato provides an integration platform in the cloud. This makes a complete IT infrastructure, including tools for integration work, available online. The iPaaS provider is also responsible for maintenance, updates, upgrades, security and reliability of the platform.
The software companies themselves determine which types of connections should be possible on the platform, for example by providing application programming interfaces (APIs) or ready-made connectors.
Companies that use iPaaS are thus only responsible for developing processes, mappings and configurations. This makes it easier to concentrate on their own know-how. In addition, any applications, services and databases provided by third parties can be connected to ERP or CRM systems. This can be done by means of a cloud or SaaS integration, which also includes a multi-cloud strategy.
Due to its scope, iPaaS brings with it disadvantages that play an important role in making a sustainable decision.
Many Platform as a Service solutions can cover some integration scenarios, but unfortunately there will always be use cases for which the iPaaS market cannot find an answer. This is because the required solution is technically too individual or not (yet) feasible from the point of view of the iPaaS providers.
Citizen integrators will not always be able to score 100% in integration tasks in the long run. This is because not all integration processes can be implemented by drag & drop and point & click.
This often requires experts with software or IT knowledge. Because many corporate tasks are becoming more complex due to increasing market, compliance or regulatory requirements, little will change in the future.
In addition, many citizen integrators are busy solving the immediate and pressing problems of their departments. As a result, the overall strategy becomes confusing and additional islands of data form within the company. These isolated solutions consist of many makeshift solutions and abandoned construction sites. To restore order, you need an expert IT team.
To avoid such problems, it makes sense to provide Citizen Integrators with professional support and training right from the start.
Another disadvantage of iPaaS is the now large number of providers. Some differ in their range of services and focus, while others try to cover as many use cases as possible. And then there are the providers who pursue a domain-specific strategy. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle. To help you choose, you will find a selection of providers recommended by us below.
In recent years, there has been a tremendous growth in SaaS offerings. And as the need has grown to be able to link different software together to use the most straightforward cloud-based system integration possible, the iPaaS model has finally emerged.
Traditional integration methods quickly reach their limits with the proliferation of SaaS applications, leading to expensive workarounds. iPaaS offers a more cost-effective alternative. iPaaS also scores points for scalability. For example, when companies go through mergers and acquisitions, an iPaaS solution easily connects the companies' IT to each other as well as to HQ.
iPaaS tools and services are similar to a control panel that can be managed through the same user interface.
Since users can work in a centralised way, they no longer waste time switching between multiple tools and can thus better focus on their work. This not only promotes team dynamics, but also leads to effective workflows.
The multi-client capability makes it possible to separate processes without having to build a separate "physical" environment for each use case. Customers thus have the option of separating different business areas and their integration scenarios or just using the separation of development, test and production environments. This saves costs and offers faster navigation of the platform.
If you are now thinking of working with an iPaaS platform, there are a few features you should consider beforehand:
To help you find the right iPaaS provider for your company, we present a small selection of many other providers.
Make can reproduce very complex scenarios through countless functions and filters and thus offers you a wide range of possibilities. Join our Make Masterclass for free if you want to learn more about Make!
With Workato, interactive and intelligent user-defined chatbots can be created to facilitate and automate business processes. Workato also integrates with various cloud and on-premise applications for customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, human resources, messaging and many more.
Zapier offers you a solution for linking apps, automating workflows and sharing data between distributed systems.
n8n is not only fair-code licensed, but also open source. With the help of the open source code, you can host and develop the tool yourself. You can also decide where your data is stored and simply run n8n on your own servers.
There are now many iPaaS providers on the market. Which iPaaS solution is right for your company and how to find the perfect tool - that's what we'll talk about in two podcast episodes. Listen in now!
Cloud-based software is becoming more and more popular. This is where iPaaS will emerge as the most effective solution in the future. iPaaS solutions can thus be thought of as a communication channel between different systems, enabling integration and data exchange. Since the model enables the free combination of many different systems, iPaaS will soon become an integral part of all business models.
By also connecting and centrally managing systems in your organisation, you remove complicated and cumbersome stones that can limit you on the path of growth.
So, what are you waiting for?
If you're wondering how you too can become a Citizen Integrator: We got you covered.
With our Make Masterclass, you'll learn how to automate your workflows and integrate your systems with each other - and all the tips, tricks and best practices of Make - in just 4 weeks. You don't need any previous technical knowledge - the Masterclass is suitable for beginners as well as advanced users. Join now!
