Cloud Applications, Data Integration Represent the Future for U.S. Business

Accentuating the increased demand for integrating SaaS applications, 72 percent of business owners indicate they possess a data integration project or active cloud application, according to a new study. A joint survey by TechValidate and SnapLogic has revealed more information about technical and business barriers and drivers for cloud analytics and SaaS application in today’s marketplace. Over 100 companies throughout the United States were surveyed.

The following results indicate a mixture of challenges and opportunities for business owners as they adapt to the new climate:

• 56 percent are currently running four or more SaaS applications.
• 47 percent said that data privacy concerns remain a major barrier to SaaS application adoption in their businesses
• 59 percent identified time or speed as the primary driver for a cloud integration service
• 53 percent noted agility and flexibility in response to changes and requests
• 57 percent said that data privacy and security concerns continue to be the key barrier in cloud analytics adoption

Regarding iPaaS technical requirements, 52 percent of respondents said a scalable and modern architecture would be the most critical requirement. Meanwhile, 41 percent prioritized the capability of handling cloud constructs including APIs, REST and JSON.

When asked to consider the various challenges of implementing integration tools, 43 percent were disappointed in the requirement for costly software configuration and installation and hardware purchases. Under half of all respondents listed time-to-value or speed, agility and flexibility, and easy access to information as the leading drivers for more cloud-based analytics.

The authors of this study reported that the results were consistent with conversations they had held with prospects, partners and customers. As API adoption, analytics and SaaS application grow in reach and popularity, the ability to communicate with and connect to other systems is the most important ingredient for a customer’s long-term success. Businesses are now better equipped to handle the complexities of integrations as these initiatives and data sources take precedence in their daily operations.