Eclipse is a platform that developers use to create integration software. Most integration software solutions in the industry are Eclipse-based, which creates a number of painful disadvantages for IT teams and business users alike. Here they are, in no particular order:
1. Eclipse is for developers and programmers
In other words, you need godlike coding powers in order to make Eclipse-based integration software work. You need expertise and a specific skill set that takes many years of training to develop, and those with the godlike coding powers are likely too busy to help you figure it out.
2. Eclipse means slow development and long test cycles
Any minor change requires modifying the code and then compiling it. After that, you then need to generate the code and deploy and test it. This process can take weeks, which in the digital age, is glacial.
3. Eclipse depends on other utilities such as Maven to build projects
Since Eclipse is a code generating toolkit, it needs third-party tools such as Maven to compile and build the codeset needed for deployment. Maven is only meant for the aforementioned deities of coding, who as we know from point #2 above, are in high demand and carry full plates.
4. Eclipse is not a collaborative platform upon which to build solutions since there is no central object repository
A centralized repository allows users (who can be anywhere in the world) to access their services and build solutions, share work with each other, and reuse existing services. In Eclipse, there is no role-based multiple user access for developing and collaborating on solutions development.
5. Eclipse is not secure
It is a desktop tool that leaves the code on a developer’s computer. So when you’re using external consultants to develop that code, it presents a risk every time they walk out the door. Also, there is no user-based security, so differing roles and levels of access cannot be created.
If you want to integrate at the speed of business, look for a tool that is web-based and meta-driven, that includes a centralized object repository, includes user-based security, and makes creating connections Facebook-easy. But if you want the painful IT equivalent of eating hot coals, then by all means, use an Eclipse-based platform for all your data integration needs.