Cloud integration has completely changed how businesses approach integration and address the issues related to data silos. Cloud integration offers tremendous flexibility and scalability and has provided multiple ways for organizations to connect disparate systems. It has numerous benefits, and multiple kinds of businesses have greatly benefited from cloud integration. So, let’s understand what cloud data integration is and look at some of the benefits of using the process for your organization.

What is cloud data integration?

Cloud data integration aims to create unified data stores that can be easily and quickly accessed by all relevant users and applications. It does this by connecting various applications, systems, repositories, and IT environments to exchange and process data in real-time. Once these are connected, the data can be accessed by different devices simultaneously through the Internet.

Types and methods
Cloud integration can involve cloud-to-cloud integration, cloud-to-on-premise integration, or a combination of both. Integration can address various components of a business, including data and applications.

• Data integration: It involves synchronizing data across repositories. This is purely a data-related connection where data can be processed, transported, and/or transferred during the process.
• Application integration: It involves connecting different applications to get seamless functionality and interoperability. In addition to data sharing, it involves issuing requests and commands to trigger processes.

When it comes to data integration within public cloud providers or private cloud platforms, several advanced tools are available in the market. The real challenge arises when organizations need to integrate multiple public clouds, integrate legacy on-premise data systems with cloud workload, and set up hybrid cloud environments.

If there is no automation and central control for cloud data integration, administrators must manually set up the integration and check whether the data is being transferred without any error. They also need to convert data to suit the file format and data model required by the specific cloud systems. To make the cloud data integration process efficient and prevent errors, organizations use integration platforms that have pre-built connectors for several IT systems.

Benefits of cloud data integration

• Flexibility and scalability: Integration provides the staff with several opportunities to improve processes and use new systems to increase efficiency and provide more value to customers.
• Synchronization of data: Integration ensures that IT systems and applications are updated in real-time.
• Automation of workflows: Data integration can automate processes that involve manually copying data or data entry tasks. You can standardize how data should be treated while transferring it across applications.
• Elimination of duplication: IT systems generally make several copies of the same data to use it for different applications or organizational processes. Integration eliminates duplication and uses a shared data store, which reduces both storage costs and synchronization efforts.

Other benefits of cloud data integration include faster time to market; better internal communication; improved customer service, support, and retention; and increased competitive edge.