As of 2018, over 3 billion internet users have patronized cloud services. According to Statista, the cloud computing industry showed almost zero signs of slowing down even in a pandemic, generating more than $300 billion in 2020. Cloud integration has become a big deal with a more promising future. On that note, here’s a comprehensive guide to cloud integration for beginners.
Cloud Integration Defined
Cloud integration is the process of bringing multiple cloud environments together. Rather than operating data silos, the ultimate goal of cloud integration is to create a cohesive IT architecture for an enterprise. It enables connections across various applications and data sources. There are various ways to pursue the process, including the use of hybrid cloud solutions that can accommodate both premise systems with cloud integration.
The concept of using an integration solution for businesses has been in existence since the 90s. As computers evolved, cloud integration became ingrained in the space as an efficient way of sharing information across the internet or any private network.
Until the cloud became a mainstream option, businesses had two main data integration methods: integrating via B2B models or leveraging knowledgeable in-house staff members and resources. To deploy any of these approaches, companies needed huge amounts of money to build and maintain complicated hardware and middleware.
Even after the advent of SaaS, businesses needed a faster integration solution devoid of the many data transformation, security, and orchestration challenges. That’s when cloud integration came to the rescue. Today, 94% of enterprises spend about 30% of their IT budgets on cloud solutions. The use cases of cloud platforms for data quality and operational efficiency keep increasing. As of 2020, 83% of all enterprise workloads are in the cloud. Experts predict public cloud spending to attain a 19% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) by 2021.
How It Works
A cloud integration platform acts as a connector of multiple virtual environments and applications. It either utilizes the internet or private networks to provide a seamless data exchange. Cloud integration platforms generally use connectors to interact with specific applications. Connectors can also be vendor-neutral using standard communications protocols like an application programming interface (API). Businesses can then use several processes in running cloud integration solutions, including mediation, federation, and synchronous integration.
Advantages of Cloud Integration
In addition to bringing multiple cloud environments together, the integration of cloud into your business processes comes with a number of benefits. We’ve listed a few below.
1. Faster Time-to-Market
For many development teams and data professionals, time-to-market is a crucial API. The faster you can deploy outputs, the better your growth chances as an organization. By 2025, the amount of data in the cloud is expected to cross a hundred zettabytes.
How do data professionals leverage these huge data volumes for more output? Not having to operate within siloed environments saves precious time for more value-driven tasks. Cloud integration capabilities can impact an organization’s workflow positively to slash their time-to-market targets. Even in times of defects, the speed with which development teams fish out redundant data and make adjustments is one of cloud integration’s major perks.
2. Enhanced Operation Efficiency
Cloud integration has become a go-to for businesses seeking scalability, especially because of the move away from huge hardware installation and maintenance expenses. The cloud integration process makes it possible to generate more value from an enterprise with relatively fewer resources. Companies can also count on fast access to relevant data to map out intelligent business processes and data analytics for better decisions.
3. Efficient Internal Communication
As businesses seek new ways to move past the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects, cloud integration has become crucial now more than ever. Cloud integration can enhance team collaboration via the web with less room for data loss.
