Software companies are * constantly * adding new features to drive value for users. But this sets off a chain reaction 👇 🔄 New features frequently involve new APIs. 🔄 Ensuring APIs work together requires effective integration strategies. 🔄 Selecting the optimal integration strategy is crucial for seamless functionality. Here’s a look at 4 different integration strategies your team can leverage: 1) Point-to-point or custom integrations In point-to-point integrations, one system is directly connected to another through APIs. To construct these integrations successfully, developers need deep knowledge of the internal workings of both the source and target systems. This approach is complex, so it should be reserved for needs that standardized products cannot meet and only need a small number of integrations. (And remember, whatever you build, you’ll have to maintain and scale over time.) 2) Workflow automation platforms or iPaaS Workflow automation platforms or iPaaS (like Zapier) operate in the cloud. They’re designed for users to configure and manage integrations between multiple systems. These platforms offer pre-built connectors and a drag-and-drop interface. This strategy works well for rapid deployment of integrations across popular applications, especially when you’re concerned about draining engineering resources with too many custom builds. 3) Embedded iPaaS Embedded iPaaS allows end-users of a product to build their own integrations in the platform. Software providers manage the underlying technical aspects (like updating connectors or ensuring data security) while customers focus on business ops. This strategy is ideal when you want customers to be able to tailor integrations to their preferences. 4) Unified API A unified API (like Rutter) aggregates multiple third-party services into a single, consistent API, simplifying how developers build and manage integrations. It abstracts and standardizes the differences between the APIs of various platforms to reduce the need for separate point-to-point integrations. It’s an ideal way for startups to integrate with multiple platforms and remain flexible so they can add more integrations in the future 📈 Read the full playbook to dive deeper into integration strategies: https://lnkd.in/eYTcVN4u
Really helpful overview!
Eunice L.
1mo
Useful tips
Rutter API
1moLove this breakdown! 👏