subject: Importance Of Cloud Data Integration Services [print this page] Even as everyone is going crazy over cloud computing, and different terms like Cloudonomics and Cloudonet are emerging, the bigger question that begs to be answered is Can your cloud based system handle all your data integration needs effectively? Moving all your business applications to SaaS or adding online applications to your existing application portfolio may have seemed like a novel idea, but didnt it also worsen your data management, migration and replication or synchronization challenges? There are three important elements to keep in mind before deploying cloud-based systems:
a) You need a tool or mechanism in place to synchronize data between your cloud and core enterprise systems.
b) Ensure you have the best business integration suite at your service.
c) Data integration is important; ignore it at your own peril.
Why do you need cloud data integration services?
To leverage cloud computing, it must be understood that core data integration assumes paramount importance, especially considering that no business would ideally own a cloud system. Therefore there will always be a need to sync data that may reside within numerous other clouds with data that is within your enterprise. So while most cloud computing providers offer APIs, as the cloud computing user, you are still left to grapple with data integration issues. Most enterprises that move to the cloud are solely looking at cost savings without realizing the cost of data integration or the complexities involved in it. While the cloud may seem economical, you need to account for data integration costs as well.
What should you look for in an effective cloud data integration service?
A cloud data integration plan needs to be an intrinsic part of your cloud computing strategy. Your cloud integration solution should be:
a) trust-worthy
b) accessible
c) comprehensive
d) economical
Also ask these questions:
a) Does it assist in driving process between systems on-premise and truly cloud delivered?
b) Does it manage data integration across very diverse as well as geographically scattered platforms?
c) Does it consider everything, including the source and target schemes?
d) Can it truly assure security and reliability of data movement and data governance between diverse points?
Even as large firms are using enterprise data integration software, they often utilize their incumbent solutions because most products have added support for data connectors to popular SaaS apps, cloud infrastructure services, and web data access protocols. A new breed of SaaS data management services that has recently emerged puts the entire data connectivity and integration solution in the cloud. These are often point-to-point solutions between popular SaaS apps and enterprise DBMSs, but are evolving into an open and extensible connector marketplace.
