Cloud-based applications make it possible for marketing teams to connect with customers, conduct critical research, and make data-driven decisions that can help boost ROI.
The challenge? With other business departments using their own sets of cloud apps and services, silos quickly emerge. And this departmental disconnect is growing as application volumes increase: Recent survey data found that large businesses use 175 cloud-based apps on average, while smaller companies deploy 73 on average.
Cloud integration platforms offer a way to bridge this digital divide by making it possible for IT teams to monitor and manage disparate applications from a single, centralized system. In this post, we’ll cover what cloud integration is and the best tools you can use to break down departmental silos.
What is cloud integration?
Cloud integration connects disparate cloud-based systems into a single platform. By breaking down software silos, cloud integration platforms let you access and manage applications and data from different software systems all in one place.
Cloud Integration: When and How
As noted by research firm Gartner, the software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions market is on track to reach more than $122 billion in 2021, fueled in large part by the demand for agile and flexible applications that let teams work anywhere, anytime.
The more applications your business uses everyday, the more complicated your IT environment becomes. As a result, it’s often worth deploying cloud integration platforms as soon as possible — companies can get familiar with key features and functions before application volumes begin to scale up exponentially.
Integration itself can be handled in-house by deploying infrastructure and services that support cloud connections, but this approach is time-consuming and costly, even for large enterprises. Cloud integration platforms, meanwhile, are designed to streamline this connective process and reduce the amount of lead time required for deployment.
Benefits of Cloud Integration
Deploying cloud integration platforms provides several benefits for businesses, including:
Improved Collaboration
Silos are problematic for small businesses — if marketing teams are using one set of applications and data, while product development, production and HR teams are using another, the results can range from mismatched business objectives that limit ROI to duplicated work that reduces total efficiency.
Cloud integration platforms offer a way to connect disparate applications and departments, making it possible for teams to leverage and collaborate on the same data in real-time.
Increased Visibility
Companies also benefit from increased visibility when using cloud integration platforms. By unifying application environments under a single solution, IT teams can easily see what’s happening, when, and why. As a result, companies are better prepared to deal with application conflicts or team requirements as they arise, rather than after the fact.
Enhanced Cost Control
Cloud applications left unchecked and unmonitored come with significant costs over time, especially if they’re continually collecting or using data. Cloud integration makes it possible for businesses to see what’s running on their network and evaluate how often applications are used, allowing them to better manage and monitor overall technology costs.
Potential Pitfalls of Cloud Integration
Generally speaking, cloud integration platforms streamline the deployment, use, and monitoring of cloud-based applications. The evolution of this market vertical means that substantive challenges are few and far between, but there is a potential pitfall that businesses must address: Choosing the right platform.
With a host of options now available and each offering a different mix of features and functions, it’s easy to get bogged down in the details. The result? Businesses may end up selecting a platform that performs adequately rather than exceptionally given their specific mix of applications, services, and staff needs.
BRAMS Partnership with the leader
Brams is a software integration expert, therefore perfectly suited for your Hubspot successful deployment. With more than 2 decades experience in the software implementation and integration field, in-depth knowledge of customer data processes and certified experts, we help you get the best of customer data with Hubspot and give more sense to your CRM.
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Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/cloud-integration
