Federal government agencies, like organizations in every sector, heavily rely on data to carry out their operations. However, the challenge of managing large volumes of data while efficiently utilizing the right data at the right time is a major concern for these agencies.
Despite the growth in computing platforms, mobile devices, and cloud environments, government agencies have been adding new systems and capabilities in an ad hoc manner, often as point solutions to address specific needs. Legacy systems that are expensive and time-consuming to maintain also continue to play a significant role in their operations.
As a result, valuable data may be inaccessible in siloed systems or in formats incompatible with modern technology. Additionally, the potential integration of new technology such as generative AI adds complexity to the challenge of leveraging data for real-time decision making.
While efforts to modernize through Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) have been made, they have fallen short of addressing the central problem. What government agencies need is a unified solution that enables them to access data from across the enterprise. This concept, known as Super iPaaS, could be the key to unlocking the potential of data for mission success.
Exponential Growth in Applications and Data
Government agencies are facing rapidly growing applications and data sources, presenting them with significant integration challenges. The number of SaaS applications used within organizations has grown by 500% in the past seven years. Furthermore, the average number of data sources per organization is 400, with some organizations using more than 1,000 data sources.
Moreover, the survey suggests that nearly all organizations will store their data in the cloud by 2024, adding to the complexity of data management for government agencies.
Challenges Posed by Legacy Systems
Budgetary and procurement challenges are compounded by legacy systems within government agencies. The annual cost of maintaining these legacy systems accounts for 80% of the government’s total IT expenditure.
Many of these systems are no longer supported, posing a significant risk to the agencies. These outdated systems are further complicated by the growing complexity of new systems and data sources.
Addressing the Chaos of Connectivity
The fragmented approach of integrating point solutions over the past two decades has resulted in a “chaos of connectivity” for government agencies. This has led to difficulties in accessing, integrating, and leveraging data efficiently.
While iPaaS has been used to address some of these challenges, it often sacrifices power for ease of use and lacks the ability to scale mission-critical integrations across different environments. Agencies require a platform that offers a unified view of all their integration patterns, including data, applications, and APIs.
The Emergence of Super iPaaS
Super iPaaS offers a new approach to integration, connecting the entire enterprise instead of just SaaS applications. It provides a unified interface of integrations across various hosting environments, giving agencies quick access to data and the ability to adapt to changing technology through a single platform.
This new paradigm integrates AI models and other innovations, providing a centralized view that helps agencies improve performance, reduce manual efforts, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Speeding Up Integration With Super IPaaS and AI
In addition to providing full visibility and access to integrations, Super iPaaS leverages generative AI to create accelerated integrations, significantly reducing the manual effort required. It allows agencies to efficiently manage and access large volumes of data, regardless of the platforms and formats.
Super iPaaS also enables the seamless flow of information, real-time reaction to changing demands, and automation of workflows using AI models. This improves productivity and reduces the burden on IT staff while ensuring end-to-end visibility and observability throughout the enterprise.