Many companies already have a complex IT landscape to navigate when they start adding new cloud-based services. The digital transformation journey is rarely something a company undertakes overnight or in one fell swoop. It often takes place in stages and over time. That is why ‘hybrid integration’ has become a key component in supporting the digital transformation journey whilst taking into account the existing systems and applications that the company must continue to use in the meantime.
IBM’s platform offers a robust solution specifically for hybrid integrations, enabling companies to easily connect their various solutions regardless of how much is in the cloud and how much is on-premises. In this article, we explain how IBM’s hybrid integration platform works.
What is hybrid integration?
Put simply, hybrid integration is the ability to connect applications, data, files and business partners across both on-premises and cloud-based solutions. However, the concept of hybrid integration is actually broader than that and addresses not only integration between stakeholders, domains and systems, but also the implementation model itself.
Companies that invest in hybrid integration do so to create a cohesive and flexible IT architecture that includes both on-premises and cloud-based systems and applications. By using a hybrid integration platform, you can benefit from the advantages of cloud technology, such as scalability and cost-effectiveness, whilst retaining control and security over your on-premises systems. You get the best of both worlds.
IBM’s hybrid integration platform
Until now, many companies have addressed their hybrid integration needs in-house by piecing together components from API management solutions, iPaaS and in-house developments. This can prove both costly and inefficient in the long run, as it rarely meets all business needs in a cost-effective manner.
Here, IBM Cloud Pak for Integration offers the opportunity to harness all the benefits of hybrid integration and receive support in –
- Break down silos within your organisation: Connect data and applications from different sources, regardless of format or protocol.
- Improve business agility: Create and implement new integrations more quickly and easily.
- Increase scalability: Handle large volumes of data and transactions significantly more efficiently.
- Improve security: Protect data and applications with robust security features built in from the start.
IBM’s hybrid integration platform – IBM Cloud Pak for Integration – collects data from various sources, such as databases, applications and various APIs. This data is then transformed into a format compatible with the target system. Finally, the transformed data is delivered to the target system, which may be an application or a database.
IBM offers a range of tools and features in Cloud Pak for Integration that make it easy to create, implement and manage integrations.
The platform is designed as a modular and comprehensive solution that includes multiple tools and technologies. It brings together all the necessary components into a single, unified experience, enabling organisations to manage integrations across various cloud and on-premises environments in a seamless and secure manner.
Using AI-powered automation, the platform supports multiple integration styles and includes tools for API management, application integration, data integration management, security and automation.
By using a container-based architecture, businesses can quickly deploy and scale their integration solutions as needed. Furthermore, the platform breaks down business silos, connects cloud and on-premises applications, and ensures data integrity through enterprise messaging.
Here are some of the key components and how they work:
- API Connect
API Connect is part of IBM Cloud Pak for Integration and is essential for managing APIs that connect different systems and applications, both in the cloud and on-premises.
This feature is a core component of hybrid integration as it enables seamless communication and data exchange between different systems and applications, both internal and external. IBM’s API Connect has been named one of the leading solutions for API management, where organisations can see a reduction in API costs of up to 50%.
2. App Connect
App Connect simplifies the integration process by offering user-friendly drag-and-drop functionality to connect different applications and data flows.
This tool supports both cloud-based services and on-premises systems, which is central to hybrid integration as it enables the integration and automation of data transfers and workflows across both cloud-based services and on-premises systems.
3. MQ
IBM MQ is a message queue technology that ensures reliable and secure data transfer between different systems. In a hybrid integration environment, it is important to be able to handle large volumes of data and complex workflows across both cloud and on-premises systems. MQ’s ability to guarantee delivery and maintain integrity in data transfers makes it a critical component of a hybrid integration platform.
4. DataPower Gateway
IBM DataPower Gateway provides a secure, high-performance platform for managing network traffic and ensuring that data transfers take place securely. In a hybrid integration environment, security and performance are crucial, as data is frequently transferred between different systems and environments. This is where DataPower Gateway helps to protect these data transfers and ensure they occur efficiently and securely.
By using IBM Cloud Pak for Integration, organisations can therefore harness the combined power of API Connect, App Connect, MQ and DataPower Gateway to build and operate a robust hybrid integration architecture.
How it works in practice
Let’s illustrate how IBM’s hybrid integration platform works in practice with an example:
A large retail company is facing a complex situation where it has both legacy, on-premises systems and modern cloud applications that need to be integrated to improve operational efficiency and security. Without a coherent integration strategy, the company risks data fragmentation, inefficient processes and compromised security.
With IBM Cloud Pak for Integration, they can:
- Coordinate data flows: App Connect enables them to integrate their existing business systems with cloud-based applications with ease. This ensures that data flows seamlessly between all systems, enabling real-time updates and improving operational efficiency. For example, data from the company’s on-premises security systems can be instantly synchronised with cloud-based reporting tools, providing management with real-time insights.
- Manage APIs effectively: Through IBM API Connect, they can create and manage APIs that enable real-time communication between different systems. This improves both the customer experience and internal efficiency. Now, customer portals and mobile apps can be seamlessly integrated with backend systems, providing customers with faster and more reliable services.
- Ensuring reliable communication: Using IBM MQ, the company can ensure that all data transfers take place reliably and securely, whether they involve on-premises systems or cloud services. This is particularly important for handling time-critical security data that must be transmitted without interruption, such as alarm and monitoring data.
- Protect data: IBM DataPower Gateway ensures that all network traffic and data transfers are protected against cyber threats. This is crucial for maintaining the trust of customers and partners. With DataPower Gateway, the company can implement advanced security protocols and encryption to protect sensitive information during transmission.
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Tomas Jinneklint
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Magnus Strömer
Executive Vice President, Epical
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