Guide to Application Integration Architecture

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Applications integration architecture is a term that sounds complicated, but it’s simply the way different applications work together to share data amongst platforms.

In a business setting, this could mean integrating your accounting software with your CRM system. Or, it could mean choosing the right platform to support all the applications your company uses.

The bottom line is that application integration is important for businesses of all sizes.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what application integration architecture is, the different benefits, and how a managed service provider (MSP) can help with it.

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What Is Applications Integration Architecture?

Whereas data integration involves integrating data after the process that created it has been completed in legacy applications , application integration involves integrating your data between multiple applications to communicate in real time.

Application integration architecture (AIA), thus, describes the patterns and techniques used in designing and building an application. 

This helps to reduce software development costs and enables applications to quickly access required data from one source. Additionally, AIA integrates application logic across the systems involved in process-level transactions so you can benefit from full automation, streamlined operations and improved enterprise architecture agility.

For example, here’s Oracle’s Application Integration Architecture diagram (below), which provides you with a roadmap and best practices to follow when working with Oracle’s SOA suite.

 

 

Application Integration Architecture
Credit: Oracle’s application integration architecture diagram

 

In short, applications integration architecture empowers your organization with the technology needed to improve efficiency, maximize success, and meet customer expectations. Read on to explore the benefits and process of integrating application architecture into your business.

Benefits of Application Integration Architecture 

Cost Reduction

With application integration architecture , you’re able to streamline business processes and applications across all platforms, resulting in:

  1. Shorter development times
  2. Fewer applications that need to be maintained
  3. Fewer resources and manpower needed

This can lead to huge cost savings over time because it eliminates the need to purchase applications or systems at separate prices and maintain them individually. In fact, by using Oracle Data Integration , organizations have reduced their development costs by 30%.

Furthermore, application integration also ensures that applications are updated with necessary data easily, so you don’t have to invest additional labor hours making sure applications talk together seamlessly – an essential requirement for today’s fast-paced business environment.

Scalability and Flexibility

Application integration architecture helps your business integrate applications with numerous sources in a single comprehensive platform which allows for scalability and flexibility for applications development.

Resolves Problems Without Centralized Coordination

AIA also removes the need for centralized problem resolution, as it provides a strong platform for your applications to securely interact with each other, allowing them to share data quickly and easily.

This approach reduces time-consuming tasks such as coding and manual enforcement of rigid rulesets and can reduce processor time significantly.

By streamlining the application’s integration process, you benefit from faster communication between applications, which leads to improved business agility and customer service while saving valuable resources.

Minimize Human Error

Application integration architecture can also cut down on human errors greatly since its automated mechanisms allow many processes to be completed quickly. Gartner says that by 2024 , manual data integration tasks will be reduced by 50 percent through the adoption of active metadata-enabled data fabric design patterns.

Automated applications can even alert users of any discrepancies or problems, which further reduces the chances of errors.

This allows your business to proceed forward with more confidence that your data and processes are reliable.

Want to learn more about automation in the workforce and how our integration architect s can help? Check out these additional resources.

 

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How To Build an Application Integration Architecture Diagram

Crafting your application integration architecture diagram can seem daunting, but with the right guidance and practice, it doesn’t have to be.

Though the process and workflow will differ depending on the integration platform you use, here’s how it works if you are using Oracle’s AIA. The first step of the enterprise applications architecture process entails getting acquainted with the Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC). This is a solution that brings together the following capabilities into a single unified source:

  • Application Integration
  • Process Automation
  • Visual Application Building
  • Integration Analytics

Working with a managed service provider (MSP) to build your application integration architecture diagram will bring much more ease and value to your enterprise application integration .

They will be able to answer all your questions in order to complete your integration process. For instance, if you’re interested in pre-built integrations that run on Oracle applications, it’s important to make sure the right platforms, applications, and components are in place.

From databases to middleware solutions and even third-party applications, a successful application integration architecture diagram is one that provides the necessary infrastructure to meet both your current and future business needs.

Moreover, these considerations must also be taken into account before development:

  • Scalability
  • Performance
  • Security best practices
  • Application data governance
  • Communication protocols

With the right planning and strategy in place, your company will have a powerful foundation for growth and success – with its applications integration architecture ready for whatever comes next.

Guide to Application Integration Architecture
Image Credit: Pexels

How We Can Help 

The managed IT provider you choose to work with will make a big difference in the ease of developing your application integration architecture .

Working with Buchanan Technologies, you can expect to receive comprehensive assistance regarding every step of the process of building your integration software .

We’ll guide you through:

  • Defining the necessary infrastructure and data flow s needed to build your application
  • Organizing data into model data folders to better automate data between sources
  • Building a comprehensive application integration architecture diagram
  • Reducing training and accelerating your end-to-end process automation with pre-built, configuration-based applications

Book your free consultation today to learn more about how we can help streamline your application integration process and create data applications to propel your business forward!

 

Featured Image Credit: Pexels 

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