Cloud connectors: The number of applications in the cloud has exploded. And as businesses move to the cloud, customer, sales, and product data becomes splintered across cloud and on-premises systems. That can make it difficult to get a single view of your product inventory, your customers, and your sales status.
IoT device connectors: It’s not just the cloud where new data sources are emerging: with IoT (internet of things), you can receive and send data from “things” such as windmills, industrial machinery, and many other devices.
Application connectors and database connectors: At the same time, traditional on-premises packaged and custom applications like SAP are still the systems of record for core business data such as financial records, and those connectors are some of the most complex to create.
B2B connectors: And when working with partners, many of the protocols and standards must be strictly adhered to. Standards like SWIFT, for example, ensure the exchange of financial information is reliable and secure between partners. Many workflows require data coming from one area, such as IoT, to be processed and handed off to another, such as core business processes. For example, data from a windmill may kick off a workflow that alerts a company to operational issues through an internal notification system. Payment from a partner via SWIFT is only part of a full transaction that ends with updating internal financial records in the business. If you don’t have a pervasive connectivity platform that allows you to connect to all of your systems and data, wherever they are, your automation capabilities will be limited.