Every business today is looking for ways to unlock the value of their data, connect disparate systems, increase efficiency, optimise the use of current IT while at the same time keeping the organisation secure. Why? Because competitive advantage, positive customer experience and a bulging bottom line are all dependent on it.
Modern integration is the answer. By creating a highly scalable platform that integrates applications, data, and processes, your organisation will gain the agility it needs to survive in a competitive digital world. And here’s 5 benefits of making it happen.
Three-quarters of companies have invested in big data or plan to within the next two years, according to a recent Gartner study.
With the use of cloud technology, it’s become easier for you to make the connection between diverse systems and applications. The use of business intelligence (BI) software is then helping you take advantage of the data that becomes accessible from these now joined-up systems.
Modern integration allows you to interact with your data in a user-friendly way – allowing you to make more informed business decisions. However, without the flexibility and scalability of cloud, you may struggle to make the connections you need between your legacy on-premise information sources.
By banishing silos, you gain access to a centralised data pool. But to do this, it’s vital to connect traditional on-premise systems to modern applications.
Hybrid integration gives you the best of both worlds. You can maintain your legacy systems and still gain value from them, while your cloud-based applications allow you to extract value from the multiple unconnected and unrelated systems that make up your IT infrastructure – optimising the investment you’ve already made in technology.
The hybrid approach is the most effective way to improve your business efficiency as cloud-based technology gives your employees a broader range of tools, accessible from any location.
An example of how this worked well is for the UKs second largest airport, Gatwick Airport London, who needed to increase business efficiency and deliver a better customer experience for passengers in response to the Airport Collaborative Decision Making project from the European Commission.
Designing and building a hybrid, B2B solution using Microsoft Azure and BizTalk Server, we were able to improve operational efficiency and enhance flight turnaround. The result was a significant improvement in communication and service levels between the airport and its network of partners.
Modern integration doesn’t have to mean an all or nothing approach to cloud. A hybrid solution will allow you to still gain value from your existing IT infrastructure, whilst benefiting from today’s more advanced technology.
For example, Iceland Foods wanted to enhance their customers’ shopping experience but their existing POS solution was only able to provide day-to-day till insight every 24 hours.
Powered by Microsoft cloud integration technologies, we integrated Iceland Foods’ POS solution with their back-end data warehouse. This enabled customers to select individual time slots for their shopping to be delivered using real-time data.
Combining existing IT with new advanced integration and application technology improved customer experience, and gave a real-time view of stock, delivery information and customer purchase data.
Cyber threats may be increasingly advanced and targeted, but so is the technology to combat them.
Traditional solutions are no longer adequate for protecting data and keeping an organisation safe from attack - and as information is your organisation's most valuable asset, it’s essential to safeguard it at all times from malicious threats.