Although the year 2020 could be touted as the year of COVID-19, it was also a good year for big data. It was the year that showed businesses how big data could benefit them in the areas of data analytics and business application development. The data-driven era is now, and the technology has matured so that it can be used to help organizations achieve their objectives and businesses take their strategies to the next level. Big data and the ways it can be stored, processed, and used are expected to evolve further in 2021, and businesses have started adopting a data-driven philosophy to respond to the call of the times.
With businesses looking at how they can leverage data to get closer to their objectives and get a competitive edge over their competitors, it seems that a digital transformation should be, if not already, a part of every business strategy. The technology and business landscapes both shift constantly, and often unpredictably. The sooner a business implements a digital transformation strategy, the better. Having the appropriate architecture ensures a smooth transition, and this is where a digital integration hub (DIH) comes in. A DIH is an application architecture designed to help organizations deliver responsive, highly available, and high-throughput application programming interfaces (API’s) without putting too much load on systems of record.
The Rise of Sensors
One of the common methods organizations use to gather the necessary data is the use of loT sensors. Generating that data could be relatively easy; the real challenge lies in making use of that data to push forward real-time business processes ”and quickly. To be successful in this loT use case, implementing the appropriate computing solution that will help in the ingestion, processing, and acting upon gathered data is vital.
When using sensors to gather data, the main challenge for most organizations is combining this data with data gathered from other sources. If business applications or systems are to use data in driving real-time business processes, they can’t require source data stores to address repeated API calls. This isn’t usually possible because data stores sometimes have set limits on the type and number of API calls that can be made at any given time. Finding a solution that can cache the data efficiently where it can be processed as fast as possible addresses this dilemma, and this is where a digital integration hub can help. A DIH benefits organizations that have to deal with petabytes of data so that they can scale easily without degrading performance. More than an application architecture, it’s a paradigm that will help support digital transformation initiatives.
A DIH can help manage data residing on-premise and in the cloud by connecting to multiple systems of record and data stores. It then aggregates operational data into a low-latency data fabric and synchronizes it with multiple back-end sources through a combination of request-based, event-based, and batch integration patterns. Management of big data is also made more efficient by enabling data integration and analytics, which can provide real-time operational reporting on fresh data.
Key Benefits of a Digital Integration Hub
Digital transformation calls for modernization; unfortunately, modernization strategies can’t be accommodated by conventional architectures because this would lead to slowdowns and increased risk of error while implementing changes to all digital applications and components used by the business. Integrating a DIH into your business systems will decouple the API services from systems of record to ensure reduced latency, maximum throughput, and always-on applications. By replicating system-of-record data in real time into a super fast in-memory data fabric, a DIH is able to provide the following features.
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Automated syndication of master data
A DIH organizes the delivery of master data to all necessary systems at specified periods and in the appropriate formats. This ensures overall reliability of data delivery across the organization. This also helps in orchestration, management, and visibility of master data integration with all enterprise systems. -
Self-service access to master data
A DIH allows a user or team to modify and add systems quickly and easily without the need for an integration developer. -
Unify master data across systems
Regardless of where the data resides, a DIH can help you leverage all master data so that all analytics systems and applications run as smoothly as possible. -
Greater Governance of Master Data
A DIH helps improve data governance and compliance with data visualizations by monitoring the central data hub and keeping track of organized data integrations.
The Time for Digital Transformation is Now
In order for real-time big data use cases to be implemented effectively, application developers should first create a computing environment that can support real-time data aggregation and analysis. Use cases based on a digital integration hub architecture powered by an in-memory computing platform can be developed easily using commodity servers and open source software to help alleviate upfront costs.
A rethinking of conventional data storage and processing methods is required if a digital transformation is to be successful. This doesn’t necessarily mean leaving behind existing platforms and adopting the newest and latest ones. The key to success is determining what works for the business now, leverage those, and integrate modern solutions to fill in system gaps. Digital transformations may seem drastic and uncertain, but the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. As more businesses move toward a data-driven approach, digital transformation becomes a question of when. For most, the answer is now.
