As we witness the journey from on-premises based systems to the cloud, companies are looking towards different solutions to integrate their API structures. While it can be daunting picking one solution to encompass all of your needs, a Hybrid Integration Platform (HIP) could be a suitable alternative for your integration dilemma.
So, what is a HIP?
Well, as the name suggests, it is an accumulation of multiple platforms to create one tailored integration solution. Rather than limiting your digital capacity by focusing on one platform, HIP allows for a wider, accumulative approach to your integration solution. Rather than a single integration platform strategy, users are now able to cherry-pick the best from each platform and combine them to create a custom solution. As a consequence of the natural shift towards more cloud-based systems, we are now seeing HIPs that focus on the cloud with components of a traditional on-premise platform combined to create a custom solution.
Using API led connectivity allows for more ad-hoc integration and developers can leverage pre-existing systems without the need for IT leaders to micro-manage all aspects of the plan. Because of this flexible hybrid solution, users can shift their databases towards a mixture of on-premises (existing databases or custom business logic) and cloud-based models where they would have had to previously choose one or the other.
When would you use a Hybrid Integration Platforms?
When most businesses decide to transform their integration systems, it is usually a relatively easy ‘lift and shift’ of their existing line-of-business database and resources onto the cloud. However, this can prove to be increasingly difficult for those with heavy data compliance issues or legacy systems with custom-built components. Utilising HIP, businesses are now able to move some of their databases to the cloud to modernise their system, while keeping those that need to stay on-premises, as they are.
Another benefit of using an HIP platform is that if done right, it can make for a stronger integration system than using a rigid, pre-determined platform. As mentioned earlier, HIP allows you to pick the best and it can make for a stronger integration system than using a rigid, pre-determined platform. For example, you may like the enticing payment model of one and the retail capacity of the other, but if going for a single platform, you will be limited in the scope of what you can do. HIP allows you to tailor the systems to create the perfect, flexible solution that fits your integration needs like a glove, leaving no space for crucial gaps that could be costly in the end.
Sounds good so far, but what is the downside?
However, Hybrid Integration Platforms (HIP) is not all sunshine and daisies, it has its downsides too.
HIP requires more work to connect multiple integration platforms as the individual systems most likely won’t support inter-connectivity. Think about pairing apples with oranges – yes, they are both fruit, but they don’t necessarily work together as they are structurally very different. The same can be seen in integration platforms as there is a misconception that all systems are fundamentally the same. While this blog won’t bore you with the similarities and differences in systems (you can check out our page on ‘Our Solutions’), they are drastically different and if you were to try to merge them together, you will encounter several issues. For inexperienced integration developers, this can prove to be extremely difficult and time-consuming and many will encourage a single platform over a HIP.
HIP also requires more baseline knowledge across integration systems as opposed to specialising in only one platform. This is to get the most out of each platform and to recommend ones that would supplement the other system the best. However, if the business does not have a jack-of-all-trades developer, this can be more costly in terms of time and resources and require you to brief in and recruit a team of integrators that specialise in the different platforms.
Though there are a couple of alarming negatives to using a HIP that leaves you feeling like this solution could be out of reach, with the right integration team, a HIP could be the perfect solution for you.
Right – you’ve sold us on HIP, where do we start?
This is where Adaptiv comes in. We have been creating integration solutions for over 10 years and have become experts in delivering complex HIPs for our partners. Our team, with their vast knowledge of a range of integration systems, have successfully created custom and competitive hybrid integration platforms for several of our clients.
Our civil and construction client is one such example where we leveraged Boomi’s cloud-based platform and connected it with the robust API Manager from Azure to create a more secure and affordable solution for their needs. This allowed Fulton Hogan to increase their cloud presence without any disruption to their internal business systems and to improve its scalability by avoiding the need to add ongoing additional on-premises resources.
If you’re interested in learning more about whether an HIP model would work best for your business, our team of integration experts can discuss with you the options you have for your needs. We have a team of skilled developers and architects who have years of experience across multiple platforms and will create the perfect solution for your digital journey. If you would like to chat with us for a no-obligation integration discussion, email us at info@adaptiv.nz and we’ll be in touch.
