Many organisations have relied on traditional middleware platforms for years to connect different business applications and facilitate communication and data exchange between them. However, these platforms, while well-built, have weaknesses that hold back organisations from innovating and staying competitive in today's challenging business environment and rapidly changing technical landscape
Traditional middleware can be uneconomical, requiring extensive support from specialised developers and administrators to implement and maintain the software. Additional costs include expensive ownership and high licensing fees. Like other on-premise solutions, organisations must also consider aspects such as hardware backups and security.
Another major disadvantage of traditional middleware models is their struggle to understand all application message formats. They cannot keep up with the velocity of change in application data models and APIs and may struggle with protocol complexity when dealing with numerous granular web services without proper business context. Traditional middleware relies on a fragile point to point integration model, which assumes a static model and can lead to integrations breaking during upgrades as web services and data models change with each new release.
As organisations seek digital transformation, innovation, and increased business agility, there is a market shift from legacy on-premise integration platforms to cloud-based Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) technology. Such integrations are not limited to cloud-to-cloud, but also include integrations across on-premise and cloud business applications.
Whether you have an upcoming integration project and are considering cloud-based integration platforms for the first time (especially if you have multiple disparate systems that don't communicate with each other) or if you are looking to replace your legacy middleware, Infor ION (Infor Operating Network, part of Infor OS) provides an advanced platform for integrating business applications and facilitating business innovation. The platform embraces heterogeneous computing, recognising that different industries and job roles require tailored solutions instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.
Here are 8 ways Infor ION advanced middleware facilitates innovation:
- Simplifies integration - Infor ION takes a lightweight approach to integration, loosely coupling business applications without breaking integrations or changing business processes. It enables faster creation and management of application integrations and upgrades compared to traditional middleware by using a single connection point for each app, eliminating the need for point to point integration modelling. This reduces the risk of an entire network of systems going down due to a single failed application or change/upgrade.
- Improves business processes - ION's business process management software (BPMS) platform, ION Process, provides greater flexibility for end-users to model and manage business workflows easily. Infor ION's simple, open architecture allows users to adapt to new business processes without complex coding. Deploying processes, such as creating a PO workflow, takes far less time than with traditional middleware, improving efficiency. Many workflows in ION can be deployed straight out-of-the-box and easily customised, making it extremely user-friendly.
- Unifies structured processes - Infor ION's standards-based middleware unifies business processes by routing XML documents between applications using a publish and subscribe model. It also retains copies of those documents in a big data central repository (Business Vault).
- Enhances visibility - Infor ION's Workflow and Events framework, included as part of the ION package, enables staff to monitor workflow execution and receive alerts for incidents or exceptions that require attention. Tasks and information can be routed to staff, streamlining processes, and enhancing staff productivity. Many traditional middleware platforms lack such useful workflow capabilities, providing organisations with an increased ROI.
- Economical to operate - Unlike traditional middleware, Infor ION minimises infrastructure investments and simplifies business process changes, reducing IT involvement and allowing more focus on strategic initiatives.
- Scalable architecture - Infor ION's modern computer architecture is practical and scalable, providing organisations with the flexibility to adapt quickly to changing business requirements and remain agile. Traditional middleware often lacks such flexibility.
- Enhances decision making - Infor ION provides real-time data, ensuring access to up-to-date information for quick business decisions based on accurate data. The platform compiles data on how workflows are performing and provides pre-built reports, making it easy to identify well-performing workflows and those needing attention.
- Supports future advancement in technologies - Infor ION serves as a unified platform for integrating social business, mobile, and cloud technologies, allowing organisations to integrate new technologies as needed. Infor ION is part of Infor's architecture, complemented by Infor Ming.le, a social business collaboration platform built on Infor ION. Infor Ming.le enables collaboration technologies to coexist with existing business applications, making it easy for staff to work together and share important knowledge.
For further information on Infor ION, please call +44 (0)203 866 8800, send an email, or check out the Infor whitepapers:
