Although hybrid integration means multiple things to a business, one thing we all can appreciate is the flexibility that’s gained from an IT structure that provides support to a combination of technologies. Similar to hybrid cars that run on a blend of gas as well as electric technologies, hybrid integration enables organizations to streamline data exchange and technology consumption using a blend of two different technology deployments – cloud and on-premise.
Companies that rely on hybrid cloud solutions can integrate complex, bi-directional data streams across the cloud applications and legacy on-premise solutions, getting rid of silos and putting data to work strategically.
However, those companies that use legacy hybrid data integration solutions face a lot of troubles. Here are some of them:
- Require IT to write long custom codes and perform extensive data mappings to implement data connections across the cloud and on-premise.
- Take weeks or months to onboard new business customers into the existing business ecosystem.
- Vulnerable to data security risks both in transit and at rest.
All these problems can be resolved by taking a self-service approach. Self-service-powered hybrid data integration solutions enable non-technical business users to implement data connections across the cloud applications and legacy on-premise solutions quickly and securely while freeing IT to focus on more high-value business projects.
In this blog post, you’ll find details of hybrid integration, its challenges, and how self-service can help companies integrate data across the cloud and on-premise easily, securely, and quickly.
An Overview of Hybrid Integration
Hybrid integration is the process of connecting cloud-based services with on-premises solutions, enabling each solution to functionally work in unison. It empowers companies to integrate cloud-based services and on-premises solutions to facilitate their integration needs and drive business operations.
In short, hybrid integration can be used to:
- Integrate on-premises systems and applications with cloud applications and services.
- Support enterprise application integration and B2B integration to facilitate the company’s on-premise and cloud infrastructure.
- Deploy multiple components of their integration technology in the cloud or behind their firewall.
However, as already discussed, hybrid integration presents many challenges, and self-service can help companies overcome those challenges. Let’s find out how.
How Self-service Can Transform Hybrid Integration
When traditional hybrid data integration methods are used, companies require their already scarce IT engineers to create long custom codes and execute extensive EDI data mappings to implement data connections across cloud and on-premise systems. That takes weeks or sometimes months of calendar time. These solutions also take weeks or months to onboard customers. While IT creates and manages data connections, customers are forced to wait to connect with business workers and have their needs met. Long wait cycles fill customers with frustration and unhappiness, which is the last thing a company dreams of. Such unhappy customers are more likely to refrain from buying more products or services from the company. And so, the company losses opportunities and experiences revenue delay.
Now, because IT integrators build hybrid integrations, they fail to focus on more high-value tasks. That’s another problem. Besides the time constraints, traditional hybrid integration solutions are also vulnerable to security risks. That’s because IT engineers have to integrate complex data across on-premise and the cloud through manual processes. Obviously, manual techniques are prone to data risks.
Companies resolve all these problems using a self-service approach. Self-service gives power to non-technical business users to quickly and securely implement data connections and free IT to focus on more strategic tasks.
- Empower non-technical business users to implement data connections across cloud-based and on-premise solutions in minutes instead of months.
- Turn customer onboarding up to 80 percent faster.
- Provide an end-to-end encrypted environment to allow only authenticated users to access and manage data across on-premise and cloud.
Companies need to reimagine their hybrid data integration approach using self-service to drive value. Not only can that enable non-technical business users to quickly and securely integrate data across on-premise and cloud but also free up IT integrators to focus on other priority business projects.