Integration platform as a service (iPaaS) solutions provide a centralized console to manage, govern, and integrate cloud-based applications. These tools work by connecting cloud applications and services and controlling integration flows. iPaaS software tools can speed up product development by integrating existing tools, and increase data volume by utilizing external sources. Companies use these tools to scale performance needs, add product functionality, and structure application integrations. Features or data can be added or removed quickly, reducing failover, downtime, and development time. iPaaS software provides the infrastructure for creating connections and deploying software applications within the cloud.
There is some relationship between iPaaS and enterprise service bus (ESB) software, but iPaaS platforms are typically used for customer-facing applications and is deployed on cloud, while ESB is used for internal data transfers and is deployed on premises.
iPaaS solutions often feature user-friendly, low-code or no-code environments for building these integrations, though some iPaaS vendors also offer advanced developer tools for more complex integrations.
To qualify for inclusion in the iPaaS category, a product must:
Build, deploy, and manage integrations within the cloud
Allow users to govern and manage integration flows
Connect various cloud-to-cloud systems and solutions
Consolidate cloud solutions into a single platform
