21 Jan Cloud Integration

We bring you a series of short blogs, quickly readable and always on the essence of things. Feel any need to go more in-depth? Just contact us to schedule a Glueing coffee talk. 

Many companies already adopted Cloud computing into their IT landscape, some just benefit from sheer infrastructural scale, some just from the standardisation of Software as a Service solutions.

But the full value of cloud comes from an holistic approach to digital transformation where the usage of cloud will be an enormous multiplier enabling business growth and innovation. From a holistic perspective a clear view on integration perspectives and the ability to integrate is of the utmost importance. Many CIO surveys on cloud computing already raised concerns for cloud computing being in nature very much silo-prone and also this article on TNW clearly addresses the topic.   

In our opinion companies benefit from a longer term IT vision supported by a clear integration framework and integration approach. Especially nowadays where companies embrace lean and agile mentalities, longer term architectural approaches are crucial to support continuous business agility.

Integration Framework

From an integration perspective we identify 4 technical layers and 2 cross-cutting pillars all as being essential for a cloud agnostic blueprint. The technical layers address architectural designs and decisions for infrastructure, data, applications and identities as being the main subjects inter-connected throughout the IT landscape. 

Next to the 4 technical layers, the 2 pillars address security and monitoring aspects which are in nature cross-cutting all layers. These core cross-cutting aspects have to be taken into account from the very start to ensure a transparant and secure performing cloud landscape. 

Integration Approach

Our lean integration approach (we called it Glueing) is closely related and based on the Integration Solution Advisory Methodology of SAP but is somewhat more supplier agnostic. It supports a common taxonomy, simplifies integration complexity and standardises integration patterns. The three main steps help you defining integration domains, identifying integration styles and use case patterns and perform technology mappings. 

What’s next

With this brief overview of our view on cloud integration, our next blog will be on Cloud Infrastructures as the base for cloud integration.