Jitterbit iPaaS: a modern iPaaS platform designed for speed

iPaaS, short for “integration platform as-a-service”, is a cloud-based solution that connects your data, application and business processes.

Jitterbit iPaaS lets you do it faster with hundreds of pre-built integrations that automate common business workflows, an easy-to-use interface that lets you quickly create integrations, and management tools that let you see everything in one place. The result is a low-code, cloud-native enterprise integration platform built for IT developers and business users alike.

Learn more about iPaaS, how it works, and how businesses can use iPaaS to their advantage on our blog.

iPaaS helps companies handle the integration requirements of the modern business environment, future-proof their integration solutions, and boost the value of their IT investments. Here are some of the top benefits of an enterprise iPaaS solution:

Ease of Use: A low-code iPaaS solution reduces reliance on IT and empowers non-tech users to create their own integrations quickly. With pre-built connectors and templates, connecting cloud and on-premises applications is easier than ever.

Faster Time-to-Value: With the pre-built connectors offered by a low code integration platform, iPaaS also speeds up integration development and deployment, allowing companies to quickly automate key business processes to realize fast ROI.

Cost-Effective: As enterprise tech stacks grow and more applications are adopted, integration becomes increasingly complex—and more expensive. iPaaS takes away the need to build integrations from the ground up, and the associated infrastructure, resources to manage and maintain these integrations, all are provided by the iPaaS vendor—a predictable and manageable expense that can lead to substantial savings as companies scale.

Scalability and Flexibility: iPaaS allows organizations to quickly connect hundreds of applications with ease. New solutions can be integrated fast so that businesses can quickly scale and adapt to changing demands and stay future-ready.

Multitenancy: iPaaS allows multiple organizations to securely share computing resources. The iPaaS vendor manages software and infrastructure updates, freeing businesses from the need to purchase or maintain their own hardware and software.

Enhanced Security and Compliance: iPaaS addresses security concerns in cloud environments by offering threat identification, fraud detection, and intruder alerts, reducing breach risks. It also ensures compliance with industry standards like GDPR and HIPAA through regular updates that adapt to changing regulations.

Built-In API Management: Jitterbit’s enterprise iPaaS solution connects with API Manager to create, publish, manage, and measure APIs across the entire API lifecycle, helping organizations operate in real-time and create microservices from a single secure platform.

Central Management: iPaaS allows integrations to be developed, designed, and managed from a single centralized web-based console, making it easy to create and monitor integrations across the enterprise.

Improve Efficiency and Productivity: By automating business processes and providing a user-friendly interface for connecting systems, enterprise iPaaS solutions save time and resources while boosting efficiency, allowing IT teams to shift their focus to more strategic initiatives.

Both iPaaS and EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) are used to integrate various applications and facilitate the exchange of data between different systems and organizations, but they approach this integration differently:

• iPaaS is used to integrate multiple applications, systems, and data sources within an organization; EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) specifically focuses on the electronic exchange of business documents between organizations using standardized formats, such as purchase orders and invoices.
• iPaaS syncs data across applications in real-time; EDI processes data in batches.
• iPaaS uses pre-built connectors and user-friendly interfaces to simplify integration processes; EDI often requires more complex setups and may involve custom coding.

Both iPaaS and ESB (Enterprise Service Bus) are used to integrate applications, and both have their place in modern integration strategies. The choice between iPaaS and ESB depends on an organization’s specific integration needs, existing infrastructure, and long-term strategy.

• iPaaS is a cloud-based solution, while ESB is pre-cloud era technology that uses an architectural pattern to establish communication between applications over a bus-like infrastructure.
• iPaaS supports hybrid integration across cloud and on-premises environments; ESB is designed for connecting legacy, on-premises systems.
• iPaaS is lightweight and cost-effective, whereas ESB requires custom coding and expensive hardware.
• iPaaS offers horizontal scalability for easy addition of applications; ESB provides vertical scalability focused on internal integrations.
• iPaaS enables real-time data access for multiple users, while ESB is limited to internal systems.
• iPaaS uses lightweight messaging standards (JSON, REST, APIs), whereas ESB often relies on traditional, more complex protocols.
• Organizations may prefer iPaaS to quickly integrate cloud-based applications or legacy on-premises systems.
• Organizations may prefer ESB for integrating legacy on-premises systems where data must remain in-house due to regulatory or security concerns.

These two terms sound so similar that it is easy to be confused—PaaS (Platform as a Service) is essentially iPaaS without the “I”. The main differences to know are:

• iPaaS connects existing applications with each other; PaaS offers tools and services for building applications from scratch.
• iPaaS provides real-time data integration; PaaS mainly addresses application lifecycle management and deployment.
• iPaaS offers pre-built connectors and integration workflows; PaaS offers development frameworks and runtime environments.