With this new blog I seem to be hitting some chords out there around data integration, and those that are actively promoting it. Truth-be-told there has been so much focus on SOA, and other more hype-driven concepts, that data integration has largely been unable to shout above the screaming.
The fact of the matter is that data integration is a rudimentary component of all enterprise architectures, and a sound data integration strategy is fundamental to the success of that architecture. You can look at SOA, cloud computing, virtualization, or whatever your Google reader is pointed at these days, and it all contains data integration as a core component. Thus, it's systemic, and thus important.
Those in the data integration and management space have a hard time getting their message heard, even though many data integration companies are financially much more successful than many of the SOA and cloud computing companies out there. From a business perspective it's always better to focus on the fundamental needs of the market, rather than chase the hype. I've been on either side of that, so trust me.
So, you have a few older companies that have good technology and are looking to get their messages out. Hopefully I can help. Also, you have many end users who are looking to understand data integration better, and I'll do my best to explain it.
This blog was a better idea than I thought.
David, as you know, in the the movie "The Lost Boys" the town was plagued by bikers and mysterious deaths, because some of these delinquents were vampires. Well, if you look at a SaaS project as being "home town" and integration as being the "lost boys", then you've hit it right on the head, because these missing "boys" will suck the life out of these SaaS projects if not handled with care.
I'm involved right now, in fact, with a marketing automation project that will require a SaaS to integrate to multiple back-office systems, because the SaaS requires handling 360-degree views of the customer to help Marketing become effective. But all these data sit across multiple source systems and the SaaS has only one adaptor to speak of, and that one points to another SaaS system!
As a result, now we have a significant custom integration phase to contend with and a time line to execution that is shorter than an eyelash. In other words, we have a monstrosity to do battle with. Nobody from the business side pushed on this topic of integration during the due diligence discussions with the SaaS provider, because integration is no fun. It isn't glamorous. It's not cool. But, as you said, it is rudimentary, even critical.
So I'd say if anyone avoids dealing with integration upfront, then in the end their project will suck just like any vampire does.
Arturo -
Enjoyed your analogy with the vampire - but I think you have a it bit wrong. Integration doesn't have to suck if you pick the right vendor. Not having integration - now that will suck the ROI right out of your existing investments.
I think the more apt Lost Boys analogy here is between the actual Lost Boys themselves. Mike, the older brother, is drawn in by a beautiful girl (cloud computing, virtualization, open source applications), accidentally joins a gang of vampires (finds himself with silo'd data in the clouds and behind his firewall, sucking the ROI out of his investment). Sam, the younger brother, recruits some vampire hunters(e.g. open source data integration vendor, Jitterbit) to save Mike from himself and from the gang of misfit Applications!
Apologies for the blatant plug. However, this is exactly the story we hear from our users who become customers when they find out integration doesn't have to suck - so I couldn't help myself.
At any rate, that analogy isn't half bad :-) - might have to get the sales team to pitch it that way... Also may need to add something to my Netflix queue.
Arturo - not the first time we've heard this. 2 core problems...
1. SAAS is great until it's API's are NOT what you want
2. SAAS API's are not driven by real-time "user" events on the desktop but rather yet more programming by IT / Dev!
3. Legacy apps often have no API's and you are in integration hell (When I say Legacy, I mean 1+ day old apps!).
So, once and for all, is there a technology that can pull the nail from the coffin to address this? Yes.
Companies like mine, OpenSpan, give you the ability to take applications that have no API, and give them one, even if you don't own the source code (Cloud, SAAS). Products do this without code by injecting into the running app to expose it's functionality to other apps. With an API into all the apps you need integrated, you have your phase 1 of integration complete.