If today your operation is divided between SaaS, on-premise systems, ERP, CRM and internal tools, the problem is almost never “having too many apps”: it's that they don't share data well, on time and with control.
Una iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) exists just for that: to integrate and orchestrate information flows between multiple systems from a central platform, reducing technical complexity for the business.
iPaaS is a cloud software model for integrate data between multiple applications in a centralized solution, especially useful when an organization operates with several systems that must share information for analytics and operation.
A key nuance (and typical point of confusion): an iPaaS is not a data repository. Your role is act as a connector between systems than Yes they store data, facilitating integration between them.
A useful way to understand it is to think of it as a”control center” where you design, deploy and monitor integrations. An iPaaS vendor provides the infrastructure and tooling, and usually exposes an interface or dashboard from which you can design, orchestrate, deploy and manage integrations.
In an iPaaS, the jacks connect to API endpoints of your applications and services. In practical terms, they enable pre-built (or accelerated) integrations to “talk” to different systems without everything being development from scratch.
In the real world, each system expects different formats. That's why an iPaaS usually includes Data mapping and transformation capabilities to translate structures (for example, from CSV to JSON) and achieve Let the information move between systems without breaking.
In platform evaluations, it is worth looking at whether the product offers no-code/low-code capabilities for mapping, reusable templates and transformation logic (conditionals, routing, expressions).
iPaaS isn't just about “connecting A to B”. The point is automate workflows between systems, reducing manual tasks and maintaining real-time data synchronization.
At the operational level, the platform interface usually makes it possible to design and manage end-to-end integrations (orchestration), with deployment and administration from the same place.
A common component is the layer of Monitoring/Management, with visibility of what is happening in the integrated system (what is running, what has failed, where a flow has been cut off). That “single panel” is part of the value: you reduce the chaos of reviewing system by system when something breaks.
iPaaS helps automate workflows and get synchronizing data in real time between connected systems, which directly impacts operations and the quality of analytics (updated data).
Traditional integration tends to be slow. In contrast, iPaaS is usually based on connectors and templates to accelerate the deployment of complex integrations and scale without redoing infrastructure every time you add volume or new connections.
From a business perspective, a strong profit is Reduce complexity and dependence on “tailor-made” solutions for each integration. At the same time, the iPaaS vendor is expected to prioritize security and governance: practices such as encryption, MFA, and regulatory compliance are often part of the criteria expected on these platforms.
A direct and frequent case: synchronize data between applications. For example, synchronizing a marketing automation platform with CRM and ERP so that areas such as sales, marketing, product and fulfillment access up-to-date data.
Other common cases include:
And the “silent enemy”? The integrations Point-to-Point: when you connect systems directly to a fragile network where an update or crash can affect the rest. This lack of flexibility often makes maintenance costly and risky as the ecosystem grows.
When someone says “we already have X, do we still need iPaaS?” , is usually mixing categories. A useful summary:
Would you like to take the first step in your business?
Here is where you gain or lose your ROI. Don't choose by “pretty features”: choose by Fit with your technical and operational reality.
Specific questions that you should be able to answer with evidence from the vendor:
A serious evaluation usually looks at:
In enterprise implementations, these points are usually “minimum viable”:
(Quick tip: If the vendor can't explain this to you vaguely, what you're buying isn't “integration”, it's future anxiety.)
No-code/low-code is not a “nice to have” when your team needs agility. A practical criterion: look for whether the platform offers visual UI, reusable templates and transformation/routing logic so that integrations don't become a bottleneck.
And remember: mapping and transformation are not a technical detail; they are the mechanism that prevents incompatible systems from being understood “by force”.
Two things can be true at the same time: “the platform is good” and “your budget by charging model kills you”.
Specific recommendations:
A healthy practice: test your real scenario with your tools/data/edge cases before committing. And, in parallel, it avoids a classic selection error: speed up the process without PoC.
Beyond the product:
If you're already in “evaluation” mode, our recommendation is simple: put together your checklist, bring your real case, and require a test that shows integration, data transformation, monitoring, deployment and costs without surprises.
Do you want to take the first step with Weavee?