Integration Snapshot 2018/2019
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The document discusses the challenges and strategies related to the integration of legacy systems and applications, emphasizing the importance of adopting an API-led approach for improved connectivity and data access. It highlights that while legacy systems can hinder business goals, the main obstacles often arise from a lack of strategy and skills in implementing modern integration solutions. Additionally, it presents survey results from a Mulesoft summit regarding current integration practices and priorities among businesses.
Integration Snapshot 2018/2019
- 1. INTEGRATION How do you currently connect your systems & applications? Already highlighted under the technology drivers for adopting an API-led approach to integration, legacy middleware and hand-coded integrations can seriously hinder efforts to gain a competitive edge and to meet changing business initiatives. APIs expose data in a way that protects the integrity of legacy systems and enables secure and governed access to the underlying data. This allows organisations with older systems to adapt to modern business needs and, more importantly, quickly adopt new technologies and platforms. Although legacy systems may prevent an organisation from achieving its goals, it is the lack of strategy and skillset that can cause more long-term obstacles even after the implementation of an API-based platform. With no strategy in place, initiatives may soon lose their focus and consequently provide little or no ROI. Similarly, lack of skillset can also damage the expected ROI by not integrating with reusability and scalability in mind. During the November MuleSoft Summit, we asked delegates to tell us about their progress with integrating their systems and applications. Here is what they told us: WHISHWORKS is a MuleSoft Strategic Partner, systems integrator, value added reseller and connector developer. With well over 100 successful implementations across different industries and geographies, we help our customers accelerate their integration projects and make the most out of their legacy and live infrastructures. www.whishworks.com [email protected] @WHISHWORKS 43% Point-to-point integration When a company has just a few systems and applications to connect, point-to-point integration is a simple way to achieve connectivity. However, as more systems and applications are added to a companyâs ecosystem over its lifetime, integrations can become an IT headache. 37% API-based platform API-led connectivity provides an approach for connecting and exposing assets through modern APIs. With an API strategy, rather than connecting things point-to-point, every asset becomes a managed, modern API which is discoverable, usable, and reusable through self- service without compromising governance or security. 20% Combination point-to-point & API-based integration Larger enterprises may have amassed over a thousand applications and systems over the years. As they start embracing API-led connectivity, there will be a transition period when old, direct integrations and API- based integrations will co-exist until their entire ecosystem becomes seamlessly connected via APIs. Cloud only / iPaaS 26% 45% Hybrid On premise 71% Legacy systems modernisation 54% Single, 360 view 54% Accelerate digital adoption 43% 37% 20% Technology drivers Business drivers Faster time-to-market Business agility & insights Improved efficiencies Although cloud integration has made big strides on the security front, there can be latency issues if a company wants to exchange data between cloud and on-promise applications. In such cases a hybrid approach would help not only as a transitory solution, but also by better managing traffic between applications on the cloud and on-promise. Legacy systems can present a real barrier to modernising the entire business. Siloed data, workflow issues, unknown dependencies, downtime and re-coding requirements are only some of the challenges IT departments face, and comes as no surprise that the modernisation of legacy systems was selected as the number one priority for IT. 56% 55% 48% 39% Legacy middleware Lack of skillset Hand-coded integrations Lack of strategy Challenges to becoming a connected business What are the main drivers for API-led integration? In the era of on-demand culture and instant gratification, speed and agility are key to continuous success. Creating a fully connected ecosystem, means that data are accessible in real-time and therefore the business can make faster, more informed decisions and considerably reduce time-to-market. 42% 42%