Software
AG
(Frankfurt TecDAX: SOW) today shared
its view of trends in integration, API (application
program interface) and MDM (master
data management) technologies based on its interactions and observations from
more than 4,000 customers.
Navdeep
Sidhu, senior director, Integration & API Management Product Marketing for
Software AG, noted: “Digital transformation cannot happen quickly enough. In
2016, we will continue to see this digital trend as consumer behavior further
drives change and puts a question mark on every business model. I believe there
are eight key trends that we will see arise through the year.”
1.
Everything will be Hybrid
The
complexity of cloud adoption and the need for increased innovation to build
digital apps will force IT to explore different cloud options. Companies will
want hybrid cloud, hybrid integration and even managed cloud. Companies will
move away from just cloud solutions to real hybrid solutions. Instead of just
focusing on public and private cloud options, IT will increasingly explore
other models for flexibility and control.
2. APIs will
get their SWAGGER back
The Swagger API framework is
becoming the de facto standard and initiatives like Open API are further
standardizing the role of Swagger in API development. We predict that Swagger
will gain further traction and over time become the most widely used standard
for APIs. Vendors will rally behind the Open API initiative and give Swagger a
much-needed boost to become the dominating API standard and RAML (RESTful API
modeling language) will fade over time.
3. APIs will
Enable ‘Self-Service’ Integration
Imagine
a world where everything is an API and all your data is immediately accessible
to you and those you choose. That includes your customers, partners, suppliers,
banks and just about everyone in your ecosystem. How will you manage this
complicated world of data access? APIs will provide the answer and self-service
style on-boarding for APIs will drive integration.
4. Bimodal
goes Mainstream
Citizen developers and citizen
integrators will co-exist peacefully with IT teams to deliver new applications
and interfaces to speed the overall innovation quotient of the organization.
Different integration models will come together under IT and thrive.
5.
Integration will Capture Big Data’s Hidden Value
Companies have been adopting Hadoop platforms
for storing data sets without actualizing the full value. Increased integration
of existing systems with newly acquired Hadoop platforms will unlock the hidden
value, enabling Big Data to finally be used to make smart decisions to improve
customer satisfaction.
6.
Microservices will Demolish Monolithic Architectures
The microservices movement
will gain strength and slowly keep drilling away at the foundation of
monolithic architectures. As organizations speed up digital transformation,
they will realize that the biggest roadblock to faster innovation is the legacy
monolithic architectures—and will find ways to adopt more “DevOps” friendly
microservices-based architectures.
7. IoT will
Meet MDM
The expanding definition of
Customer-360 means MDM will incorporate data about customer buying preferences,
linking that data to standard MDM data quality processes, such as cleansing and
matching. Synchronizing and enriching the customer master record through
device-generated sensor data will become a more common requirement for MDM’s
customer consolidation process.
8. MDM Will
Get Prettier – and Smarter
MDM solutions will continue to increase
support for business data stewards by simplifying work views, creating more
application-oriented interfaces, and integrating business intelligence tools
and “dash-boarding” to understand the value and impact of superior data quality
on business processes.
Navdeep
Sidhu concluded: “This year the focus will be on finding the necessary IT
capabilities for faster transformation, as organizations realize that existing
models are not capable of supporting it. At the end of the day, all of our
predictions point to how organizations can build better business
applications—as those will be the manifestation of how they will become digital
enterprises.”
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