How iPaaS Is Extending Cloud Functionality

As more space is needed to integrate various software stored either locally or elsewhere around the web, you can scale up, but if you find that you are not using the space you thought you would require, you can scale down. It’s amazing what you can do with an integration Platform as a Service in terms of functionality, but first, you probably want to know what iPaaS is and what it means to your business.

A Brief Rundown on iPaaS

Before you can even attempt to understand iPaaS, you need to know a little about its foundation, PaaS. Platform as a Service, PaaS, is comprised of various bits of software working together as your platform. For example, NetSuite is a platform that typically includes:

• Accounting software
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software
• E-commerce software

It is the leading backend operating platform for companies large, medium and small, doing the bulk of their business online, in the cloud as it happens. It isn’t dependent on operating systems and can be just as easily utilized by businesses running Windows on their computers as those using Mac/Apple systems and is known to have the greatest functionality of any business platforms out there, of which there are several.

However, what makes NetSuite invaluable is its ability to function well in an iPaaS (integration Platform as a Service) setting through the use of a connector that enables other bits of software to be easily integrated into NetSuite so that they can all work seamlessly within that platform. What you should probably know now is that there are several ways to go about integrating software into NetSuite but one developer stands out in the crowd. Celigo is the leader in NetSuite integrations because of their innovative connectors that do all the connecting for you.

Understanding NetSuite in an iPaaS Setting

Now that you understand that NetSuite is a backend platform with just about all the software you need to efficiently run your business, especially financials, it’s time to understand this platform in an iPaaS setting. Bearing in mind that iPaaS is the acronym for integration Platform as a Service, you can start to see that this simply means you can integrate other software easily into the platform if you can find ways to make the connection. This is where a company like Celigo comes into play.

With a proprietary connector that is operated through a user dashboard, you can almost effortlessly draw all those bits of software from around the web, or on your local machine, into the cloud-based NetSuite platform. This increases the functionality of your platform so that you can incorporate a front end customer centric platform into your back end NetSuite platform. They can work together in tandem with data being silently synced in the background as any and all changes are made.

Using the Example of the NetSuite/Salesforce Integration

One of the most difficult things for a layperson to understand is all the technical jargon you are confronted with. This is especially true for cloud-based technology since it, in its present form, is still in its relative infancy. Yes, the cloud is nothing more than a huge number of servers all connected via the internet, but it is so much more than that. It’s a fluid entity that expands and contracts with the needs of users.

With NetSuite being the backend business platform (on the operations end of the scale), Salesforce is the leading front end e-commerce platform developed with the customer in mind. Salesforce is especially good when you engage in online sales. It is designed to make the shopping experience smooth for the customer, but it is also a totally different platform than NetSuite. When you connect the two you end up with something akin to a hybrid platform in which all components work together seamlessly.

The reason why Celigo is mentioned in this context is because of the innovative way they’ve designed the connector so that you, the user, don’t need to do anything other than give a few commands from a dashboard. Other connectors out there are not nearly as user-friendly and take a great deal more technical know-how to draw in bits of software from around the web to function within NetSuite.

The End Result of Integration Solutions

So then, if asked to sum this all up, you could probably say that working in the cloud is a cost effective way to take advantage of platforms that don’t need to be purchased for your local machine. It’s almost like renting a property, but a virtual one in which you can take up more room if needed and then lease smaller space as needed. In other words, working in the cloud makes cost and usage scalable.

Because of this, you can integrate a greater number of platforms and software into your base platform without worrying that you will run out of disk space or clock speed. The server is responsible for all that because these platforms are web-based. You run them from within a browser and the bulk of the workload is on the server side.

Integration solutions enable you to add functionality to your business’ platform without the high cost of upgrading a local computer or buying additional software. Yes, you need to contract for a fee to use those features and functions, but at much less the cost of buying them outright. Due to companies like Celigo that make user-friendly connectors, you can use literally limitless integrations with little or no technical knowledge. That, in a nutshell, is how iPaaS is extending cloud functionality.