FDC3 was created as a standard for interoperability for applications commonly used in financial institutions; in some cases, it’s the driving force behind platforms, allowing for application suites to function. For a quick read on FDC3, feel free to check out this article.
Originally only implemented in desktop containers, the next obvious step was to extend this functionality to the cloud. Enter Connectifi.
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Connectifi was founded as the only cloud-native provider of FDC3, allowing for application interoperability beyond desktop containers for financial platforms. One of the biggest limitations of incumbent FDC3 implementations has been the desktop container; application interoperability was limited to applications within the container. Connectifi preserves this functionality, but also makes connections (in any combination) possible between container apps (even in different containers), web apps, and native apps.
For legacy implementations of FDC3, after switching to Connectifi, the ability to interop with applications beyond the desktop container is immediately unlocked, without having to completely re-write the application. The idea that users can quickly connect one platform to another, regardless of platform or environment, inspired us to look for other avenues to apply this technology.
As Connectifi’s initial purpose was to seamlessly and securely send data between platforms, integrations seemed to be a logical next step for us. Since tech stacks come in all shapes and sizes, there is a never-ending stream of integration demand for application owners, with most requests never seeing the light of day due to the high cost and complexity. Also, with increased complexity of integrations, the cost of ownership increases as well, potentially turning these products into costs rather than revenue generators.
G2 has stated "...the integration burden is shifting from buyers to SaaS providers. And while traditional IPaaS solutions are well-suited for building internal integrations, they lack the functionality that SaaS teams need to develop native integrations for their customers.” Connectifi’s enables application owners to create interactive integrations, reduce integration development lifecycles, and lower integration complexity and costs; in other words, SaaS ISVs can integrate with their customers faster and more easily with fewer resources.
Currently, integrations are primarily either created in-house or via an Integration Platform as a Service (IPaaS) provider. IPaaS platforms allow for users to quickly connect two applications/platforms together with a minimum amount of coding needed. When looking at the IPaaS platforms, they will usually fall under one of two categories: enterprise IPaaS or embedded IPaaS.
In-house, or custom, integrations are going to be the most robust integrations you can create. These integrations are created from the ground up to connect two platforms and ensures all desired functionality is included. While the ideal integration is built via this method, it is resource-intensive and requires a longer development cycle. Additionally, the integration needs to be maintained as platforms update to ensure it remains functional.
Enterprise IPaaS platforms are typically used to connect systems that are used internally; these can include popular tools like a CRM, helpdesk software, project management tool, issue tracking platform, etc. With an enterprise IPaaS platform, you can automate actions with a triggering event. In other words, whenever a set of conditions is met, the specified action is performed. Creating low-effort integrations on enterprise IPaaS platforms includes specifying a starting application, the action to be performed, the triggering condition(s), and the destination application.
Embedded IPaaS platforms are typically used to provide independent software vendors (ISVs) with the ability to embed integration capabilities directly into their own applications, addressing one of the biggest limitations of enterprise IPaaS. This enables seamless connectivity between different software systems, applications, and data sources without the need for managing the integrations themselves. For example, you can connect your custom application to a CRM to send user data to it. Setting up an embedded IPaaS includes setting a destination application, the action to be performed, the triggering condition(s), and adding the integration to your internal application.
When using IPaaS solutions, users select from a list of connector’s from the platform’s collection to build their integrations. Usually, these collections will include very popular applications or platforms. If a desired connector is not provided, users can create their own custom integrations, provided there is a publicly-facing REST API. However, in the case of on-prem, legacy, or UI-centric applications, there may not always be a REST API available that an IPaaS can call.
IPaaS integrations are a great solution for at-scale automation; however, they are not ideal when it comes to handling user workflows. When setting up integrations, routes for data must be pre-determined. Additionally, IPaaS does not support any sort of user input when the automation fires.
As embedded IPaaS platforms identified and solved limitations ISVs encountered with enterprise IPaaS, Connectifi removes the integration limitations of embedded IPaaS. We embrace the IPaaS philosophy of being able to quickly build low-effort integrations, reduce length of development and sales cycles, and lower required resource to implement and maintain integrations. Additionally, with Connectifi, you’ll be able to connect to and from all applications, whether they are on-prem, cloud-based, native, running in a virtual machine, or anywhere else.
Connectifi also solves the rigid limitation that comes with IPaaS platforms. If you were to think of IPaaS as a train, Connectifi would be a car. With integrations created via IPaaS, data routes and actions are pre-determined with no user optionality at runtime. With Connectifi, users are able to choose what to do with their data and where to send it, providing direct/last-mile delivery of data that previously was not possible.
According to Gartner Research, “94% of companies find integrations with other systems to be ‘important’ or ‘extremely important’ in winning new customers.” Connectifi empowers users to do just that. We make it easy to connect applications and platforms together, reduce go live timelines, and lower maintenance costs in the long-run. Shorter go-live time lines result in more closed deals; lower maintenance means a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and a higher profit margin. Integrations created with Connectifi allow for user interactivity, providing users with options for what they want to do with a piece of data. Connectifi enables users to build robust integrations at a scale that previously was not possible, turning integrations into a revenue engine.
Feel free to reach out to us to see how you can build more integrations quickly at info@connectifi.co.
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