SaaS integration challenges arise from outdated processes
Software as a Service (SaaS) integration challenges arise from a number of places—out-of-date legacy systems, vendor lock-in, inconsistent data records—but the biggest SaaS integration challenge may be processual, not technological.
We recently spoke with Ilan Sehayek, CTO of cloud integration software and services provider Jitterbit, about how cloud computing is changing the way applications are integrated. Sehayek suggests that Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) integration challenges arise because traditional integration processes cannot match pace with SaaS integration needs.
“These SaaS applications are being adopted and modified so fast that they cannot keep up,” said Sehayek.
Sehayek suggested that the common integration model is too slow because there are too many steps involved. “Integration was always when the business decided they needed to change something. Then you have an analyst sit down and determine the new way data goes back and forth” said Sehayek. “This gets translated into requirements for developers.”
And those steps only bring the requirements to the developer. After the developer meets the requirements, it goes back to analyst for testing and, often, back to the developer.
Such a model for integration takes money, resources, and time. “The challenge for [cloud application integration] today isn’t that it cannot be done, but that it takes too long, is too expensive, and it requires too many resources,” Sehayek said.
Read more… »
Business Process Management (BPM) has been a target for SaaS toolmakers for several years, but SaaS BPM is still on the road to maturity. Integration of SaaS BPM continues to be a challenge.
Business Process Management (BPM) can be defined as the strategies and technologies used to streamline and optimize the steps taken to achieve a goal. BPM is not the process itself, but the act of improving that process. BPM technologies are most often associated with the automation of workflow: they make sure that a document or task passes from one person to the next in the proper order, and change that order as business needs dictate.
When the SaaS model is applied to BPM, integration can become a unique challenge. Read more… »
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is software that combines geospatial data—data that describes the location of something, such as a customer or shipping destination, for example—as well as more typical data sets and allows the user to visualize by overlaying the data on a map and providing analytic tools. GIS is most often used in government, utilities, and telecommunications: it has numerous uses when interpreting census data or energy consumption, for example, because it allows the user to recognize trends visually.
According to the CEO of one GIS provider, though, GIS adoption in other industries has been slow. James Doherty, CEO of espatial, believes that creating SaaS GIS offerings that integrate with familiar enterprise applications is the key to growth in the industry. Read more… »
We have today launched our SaaS Integrations Case Studies resource page. The SaaS integration Case Studies resource page provides summaries and links to SaaS integration case studies featured on this site and found across the Web. We are looking to grow this page with case studies from across the Web. Please suggest links to add by e-mailing editorial@cloudappintegration.com.
As convenient as cloud computing can be, it’s important to remember that the convenience comes from passing on difficulties to someone outside your organization. Problems arise when their difficulty–say, trouble integrating with another third party provider you’ve enlisted–has a direct effect on how you do business. News from today suggests you can prevent these issues such by handling cloud integration early and often.
In a blog post today about cloud silos and integration, David Linthicum advocates doing integration in a step-by-step manner as a cloud-based system is built instead of waiting until after the pieces are in place. Failing to integrate in an iterative way will lead to silos. Siloed systems in a cloud computing environment, Linthicum says, can have worse consequences than siloed sytems on premise.
For in-the-trenches proof of the importance of early integration, consider New Zealand-based nonprofit St. John, whose SaaS CRM integration is profiled as part of a feature article on cloud implementation. St. John IT direct Peter McDowall is quoted in the story as saying, “We focused on integration upfront, but we could have put even more emphasis on it.” McDowall’s company combined Salesforce CRM with existing on-premise software. The organization used Pervasive for cloud data migration.
It may seem like an obvious notion, but taking an iterative approach to integration is not always done. And, given that many systems have been in place for years, it may not always be possible. But as more companies transition to the cloud, the opportunity exists—an opportunity that should be taken—for step-wise integration to occur as new systems are built out.
The BI market has seen a lot of press this year, as part of a broader movement toward closer collaboration between business and IT departments. Back in February, IDC predicted the SaaS BI market would grow over 20% each year through 2013. It’s no surprise, then, that BI vendors are expanding their SaaS presence.
A recent report from the Aberdeen group concluded that the integration of SaaS BI increases use among employees, specifically self-service users, when compared to on premise business intelligence tools. The report looked closely at San Francisco accessory retailer Timbuk2, who used SaaS BI from PivotLink. According to the report, SaaS BI attracted more users across the enterprise, saved money, and encouraged business agility.
Business Intelligence service provider GoodData this August announced the availability of its GoodData Snap in the SnapLogic SnapStore, allowing users to integrate GoodData services within SnapLogic’s data integration platform. The GoodData tool helps users create dashboards, perform operational reporting, and conduct analysis. GoodData promises “data to dashboard in a week.”
Also in August, BI services provider Information Control Corporation (ICC) announced a partnership with Business Intelligence SaaS provider Bi3. A reseller, ICC will recommend Bi3 to its clients. The Bi3 SaaS offering features integration of BI and Business Process Management (BPM) tools.
In the same month, Bilander released version 2.0 of Binocle, its business intelligence Software-as-a-Service. The aim of the product is “to put business users in the driver’s seat,” according to the release. Binocle offers integration with Microsoft Office products, as well as Salesforce.com CRM, MS-CRM, and vTiger.
In any company, the IT department increasingly holds the tools for smart business decisions while the business department holds the expertise. Business and IT departments are thus working closer together than ever before, and a SaaS BI service can help bridge the gap between the two. As recent surveys show, and as tools like the GoodData Snap and Bilander’s Binocle suggest, Business Intelligence is on the rise. That’s because BI can make data and data analysis more accessible to business users through easier collaboration over the Web and by facilitating the creation of easy-to-use dashboards and visualizations.
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SaaS BI integration resources
SaaS BI Continues to Draw Interest, Traction (Enterprise Systems)
SaaS BI provider Birst conducted a survey to gauge interest level and concerns about prospective users of SaaS BI. The results are not surprising: Many respondents said that complexity of integration was one of their top concerns.
BI SaaS Vendors Are Not Created Equal (Information Management)
Blogger Boris Evelson takes a look at the different capabilities BI vendors offer. The leading BI tool remains, perhaps surprisingly, Microsoft Excel. But today’s pure BI offerings are capable of much more, and Evelson creates a helpful checklist for determining which vendor is right for you. BI integration services are an important consideration, Evelson writes.
SaaS BI Vendor LucidEra Set to Fold (CIO)
Find out why LucidEra was unable to hang on in the competitive SaaS BI market. The article suggests that LucidEra was too expensive for small companies and lacked capability for large ones. The article also suggests that integration issues can be a hindrance to BI implementation. It may be that integration challenges were part of the problem.
SaaS BI growing (ebizQ)
Blogger David Linthicum takes a look at expectations for the growing SaaS BI market. While he’s not as enthusiastic as others, he acknowledges that SaaS BI is particularly useful in enterprise mashups and in the front office.
SaaS business intelligence (BI) software, technology and market guide (SearchBusinessAnalytics)
This special report on SaaS BI takes a look at recent news, market trends, and tips related to SaaS BI, including a special section on SaaS BI integration. That this section is titled “IT Darwinism” suggests how important good integration to the survival of a SaaS BI implementation.
Report shows benefits of SaaS Business Intelligence (Press release)
A recent report from the Aberdeen group concluded that the integration of SaaS BI increases use among employees, specifically self-service users, when compared to on premise business intelligence tools. The report looked closely at San Francisco accessory retailer Timbuk2, who used SaaS BI from PivotLink. According to the report, SaaS BI attracted more users across the enterprise, saved money, and encouraged business agility.
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