Businesses are relying on integration platform as a service (iPaaS) solutions to solve data integration challenges. This reliance has helped the iPaaS category reach $9.5 Billion in market value. If you’re using spreadsheets or writing code to manage your data, it can become overwhelming as the amount of information increases.
An iPaaS is a cloud-based tool that solves this problem by automatically connecting systems and sharing data between them. You can manage all your systems from one central dashboard automatically.
Read on to learn why iPaaS is essential for modern data automation, how it differs from traditional methods, and its benefits.
Why Is iPaaS Key for Data Automation?
An integration platform as a service (iPaaS) is a cloud service that connects your apps and databases. It shares data automatically, so you don’t need to write custom code making it easier to share data between systems.
iPaaS lets you schedule automatic data updates, ensuring your data is always current. Reliable, automated data flows help make the most of available information.
How Is iPaaS Better Than Traditional Integration Methods?
Companies have relied on older tools to connect their apps and systems for years. These legacy middleware solutions often require infrastructure investments, making them inflexible and costly to maintain. Adding new applications can also be a slow and complicated process with these outdated tools. Here is how newer iPaaS services work better than these traditional tools:
- Cost-Effective: iPaaS runs in the cloud, eliminating the need for expensive hardware and server infrastructure.
- Flexible and Agile: Connecting new applications with iPaaS is quick and easy. You can set up data flows without extensive custom coding, allowing you to adapt to changing needs.
- Scalable On-Demand: iPaaS platforms automatically scale up or down as your data volume grows or shrinks, removing the dependency on hardware upgrades without sacrificing performance.
- Ongoing Compatibility: iPaaS features help ensure compatibility between applications even when their data changes formats. It handles data conversions automatically, preventing integration disruptions.
9 Advantages of Using an iPaaS in Data Automation
Without iPaaS, businesses would be juggling between custom code and outdated middleware to connect their applications. Data silos would be making it difficult to get a clear picture of operations. Integrating new systems would be slow, expensive, and prone to errors. To remedy all of that, we use iPaaS, and some of its major benefits include:
1. Connects Different Systems: iPaaS links applications and databases, even if they use different technologies, allowing you to move data between disconnected systems. For example: An iPaaS can connect a hospital’s patient records system with its billing software, even though they use different systems, to automatically update invoices based on patient visits.
2. Ready-Made Connections: A good iPaaS comes with connectors for popular tools like Salesforce, SAP, and Marketo, making it easy to integrate these applications with other systems.
3. Fast Data Updates: iPaaS keeps data synchronized across systems to keep information current and accurate. For example: A retailer keeps inventory data up to date between their online store and ERP system so customers see accurate stock levels.
4. Change Data During Transfer: iPaaS tools let you clean, map, and reshape data as it moves between systems. It helps ensure that the data fits the needs of each system. For example: A healthcare provider standardizes patient data as it moves between their Electronic Health Record (EHR) system and their Business Intelligence (BI) reporting platform for easier reporting and analysis.
5. Manage Everything in One Place: iPaaS provides a single dashboard to monitor, manage, and troubleshoot your integrations. Having one central view for all your connections lets you track progress, identify issues faster, and manage any changes directly.
6. Improved Data Quality: iPaaS can enforce validation rules during data transfer to ensure that data is accurate and consistent throughout all databases and applications. This reduces errors and improves the reliability of your data.
7. Reduced Development Costs: iPaaS uses pre-built connectors and visual tools to simplify integration setup, reducing the need for a lot of coding and lowering development costs. For example: A SaaS company uses drag-and-drop tools to connect systems quickly without expensive custom coding.
8. Increased Agility: iPaaS makes it easier to adapt to changing business needs by quickly connecting new systems or modifying existing integrations. This agility allows you to respond to market demands and implement new initiatives faster.
10. Better Security: iPaaS solutions often incorporate security features like data encryption, access controls, and audit trails to protect sensitive information during transfer and storage. This helps ensure compliance with data privacy regulations. For example: A bank protects sensitive data during transfers with encryption and access controls to meet security rules.
Why Boomi’s iPaaS Is The Ideal Solution for Data Automation
Connecting different software programs can get complicated for organizations. Integration platform as a service (iPaaS) aims to simplify how you connect various systems.
The Boomi Enterprise Platform offers a top iPaaS that handles all types of data needs, whether complex or simple. Here are some of the significant benefits of using Boomi:
- Unified Data Management: With Boomi, you can consolidate all your company data in one place, making it easier to access and manage information.
- Data Quality Assurance: Boomi uses continuous validation to ensure your data is always reliable. Correct data is vital for decision-making.
- Comprehensive Security: Boomi keeps your data safe through leading security protections. You can feel confident your essential information stays secure.
- Scalable, Low-Code Design: You do not need deep technical know-how to use the Boomi platform. The platform is also scalable and adapts as your needs change over time.
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