The cloud has revolutionized the way people do business, and cloud application integration has opened a whole world of opportunities. It helps them connect scattered systems with improved access and visibility of data. 

Let’s read some more about it. 

While you are at it, you can go ahead and skim through the articles about creating custom CRM and software delivery manager. 

What’s Cloud Application Integration?

Cloud integration is actually a system where tools and technologies allow you to connect various applications, repositories, systems and IT environments for the exchange of data and processes in real-time. The goal of integration is a cohesive IT infrastructure. Once the process of integration is done, the apps can be accessed from many devices via the internet or a network. 

Benefits of Cloud Integration

When it comes to maintenance and evolution of apps more and more, companies are going for cloud technologies. That’s because they not only reduce the cost of the whole process but also improve performance. Below are the advantages that integrated cloud applications offer.

• Better operational efficiency
• High scalability and flexibility
• Improved internal communication
• Short time to market
• Better customer service, retention and support
• More revenue and reduced operational cost
• Improved competitive edge

Integration Strategies

The goal of solution architects should be to find a strategy that increases the value delivered by the integrated system. You should take into account your operational goals and current IT infrastructure. The following are the 4 strategies you can consider adopting.

iPaaS (Integrated Platform as a Service)

iPaaS allows you to make and deploy complicated integrations fast. In addition to cloud-to-cloud, it also lets you integrate native applications with on-premises system. iPaaS is appropriate for the times when you have to handle a huge portfolio of integrations and would rather avoid diving in the operational aspects of integration. 

Saas and Third Party Connectors

There are many Saas vendors who offer pre-built integration solutions. Many software and custom software development companies offer easy to deploy integrations. But that also means that the flexibility will be reduced and the control over the operations will be reduced. It is also not a good option for apps that have been customized a lot. 

ESB (Enterprise Service Bus)

Your integration software will act as a hub that brings together all the applications with this strategy. It is a good solution for supply chain management and multi-industry enterprises. If you want centralized control over your large portfolio of apps, then you should choose ESB. But if your company’s IT structure does not have on-premises apps then you should search for something else. 

Direct Integration

Some in-house software development teams have the skills of creating direct integration systems. They can be stand-alone or in the app that’s being integrated. It is a more flexible option. The advantage of this strategy is that you get solutions that are more tailored to your needs. 

Final Words

Integrated cloud apps let you enjoy a coherent and functional IT infrastructure but it requires work and careful planning from your end. You can either train your in-house team for coming up with a solution or hire the services of a custom software development company.