On a daily basis, you probably use 5 to 10 tools to get your job done. From tracking and nurturing leads to finances, content, project management and email platforms, you're all over the place. Have you ever thought about all of those systems that you log into on a daily basis?
While integrations help bring disparate systems under one roof, many organizations still struggle with connecting different technologies effectively. Cobbling together plug-ins and integrations can become expensive and may even lead to distrust in your data.
This is the challenge that Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) hopes to overcome.
What is iPaas?
iPaaS's main goal is to create a frictionless user experience by bringing all your systems into one platform. iPaaS acts as a pipeline for communication between multiple systems and teams (marketing, sales, services) and allows for seamless data sharing and integration. It leads to more accurate data, better user experiences, the ability to scale and happier employees.
As companies accelerate their digital transformation efforts, iPaaS has become integral to modern business operations. The iPaaS market continues to grow significantly as organizations seek more efficient ways to integrate their cloud and on-premises applications.
How Does iPaaS Work?
As your company grows, iPaaS lets you scale without the need to build out new services. Instead, you can find software that fills your need and integrate it with your platform. Here's how iPaaS works:
- iPaaS providers supply the cloud-based infrastructure and tools needed for creating and managing application integrations
- The platform supports various connection types including RESTful APIs, webhooks, pre-built connectors, and custom integrations
- Once configured, iPaaS creates a centralized ecosystem for viewing, managing, and modifying all data, infrastructure, and operations
All of your teams will be able to access this central ecosystem, allowing for data transparency throughout your company.
Find examples of iPaaS use cases here.
The Benefits of iPaaS
Several benefits of iPaaS have been mentioned already, but they're worth noting again simply because they make daily tasks so much easier.
When you sign on with an iPaaS you can count on:
- Organized data: Rather than gathering data from several sites and crossing your fingers that it's accurate, you can count on data in an iPaaS being up to date with the most accurate, organized data.
- A single source of truth: Log into one system to get your work done, rather than remembering passwords to many software solutions.
- Improved efficiency: Think of the time you'll save working within one platform rather than many.
- Better communication: When all your teams are working with the same information, you can create more targeted campaigns for your customers.
Getting Started with iPaaS
Leading iPaaS providers include Workato, Zapier, Informatica, Mulesoft, Microsoft Azure Integration Services, Dell Boomi, and Oracle Integration Cloud. As you look to align your tech stack, do some research to find which iPaaS will satisfy your business needs. Think about the data you want to integrate and how you want it to flow.
If you aren't ready to commit to an iPaaS, but you do have the need for some smaller integrations, check out a list of offerings in the SyncSmart (our product brand) marketplace.
