In the digital world, connections matter. The problem is that the proliferation of platforms, devices, and software systems has spiked incompatibility. This makes it difficult to connect with clients and software partners.
Data integration is pivotal to fostering innovation. It also ensures software architects don’t have to repeat the same work over and over. Rather, they can repurpose existing processes and data flows into new projects.
Organizations generally find it untenable to constantly perform custom integration to overcome cross-platform incompatibilities in pursuit of information exchange.
Integration service providers (ISPs) bridged this gap by harnessing the power of integration.
We have previously discussed integrated service management (ISM), but here we’ll go into the role of ISPs in data transformation, along with their challenges, advantages, and common use cases.
Key Takeaways
- Integration service providers connect disparate software systems through APIs and standardized protocols, eliminating manual data transfers and reducing human error.
- ISPs operate primarily through iPaaS models, offering subscription-based access to pre-built connectors and automation tools without hardware installation.
- Types of ISPs include system integrators, managed service providers (MSPs), platform-as-a-service providers, and business process integration providers.
- Key evaluation criteria include AI-assisted configuration, security certifications, bidirectional sync capabilities, and flexible deployment options.
- Common use cases span application-to-application integration, real-time data synchronization, microservice orchestration, multi-cloud management, and cross-company collaboration.
- Enterprises gain 360-degree visibility into their data, shortened deployment times, and improved customer experiences through streamlined integration.
What Is an Integration Service Provider?
An integration service provider is a platform that connects different software applications and systems so they can seamlessly exchange data. As purveyors of specialized applications, ISPs offer clients software structured with an accessible interface—usually via an application programming interface (API)—to execute data flow integration.
ISPs typically offer features that range from customer data integration to cross-platform integration, including data management and database analytics solutions. They also aim to shorten deployment times, making it easy to exchange information using no-code, low-code, or script-based integration solutions.
Core capabilities offered by ISPs include:
- Real-Time Data Processing: ISPs enable live data synchronization between connected systems. When a work item updates in Jira, the corresponding record in ServiceNow, Salesforce, or Zendesk reflects that change within seconds. This eliminates batch processing delays and ensures all teams work with current information.
- Flexible Pricing Models: Most ISPs offer tiered subscription plans based on data volume, number of connections, or feature sets. This allows organizations to start small and scale their integration footprint as needs evolve without large upfront investments.
- Robust Data Mapping Functionality: ISPs provide visual or programmatic tools to define how fields in one system correspond to fields in another. Advanced platforms support complex transformations, conditional logic, and custom field handling—critical for enterprises with unique data structures.
- Configurable Workflow Triggers: Integrations can initiate based on specific events such as status changes, new record creation, or time-based schedules. This automation reduces manual intervention and ensures timely data flow across systems.
- Custom Connector Development: While pre-built connectors cover popular platforms, ISPs also support custom connectors for proprietary systems. Solutions like Exalate allow connections to any platform with available REST APIs, extending integration reach beyond standard offerings.
- Unified Management Interfaces: Modern ISPs provide a single pane of glass to monitor, configure, and troubleshoot all active integrations. Exalate’s SyncRoom, for instance, lets teams manage their entire integration network from one interface, tracking sync status and connection health across all connected systems.
- Scalability Through Pre-Built Connectors: Pre-built connectors for platforms like Jira, ServiceNow, Salesforce, Freshservice, Freshdesk, Azure DevOps, Azure DevOps Server, Zendesk, GitHub, and Asana reduce implementation time from weeks to days. Each connector is optimized for the target platform’s API behavior and data model.
- Multiple Protocol Support: ISPs handle various communication protocols, including FTP, HTTP/S, Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP), and Open Data Protocol (OData). This protocol flexibility enables integration with legacy systems and modern cloud platforms alike.
How Do Integration Service Providers Work?
ISPs use various technologies to facilitate data exchange across systems. They primarily work by using APIs to create connections between disparate and seemingly incompatible software artifacts.
API-Driven Integration
Most modern ISPs rely on RESTful APIs as their primary integration mechanism. REST APIs use standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to interact with system resources. This approach offers simplicity, scalability, and broad compatibility with contemporary software platforms.
Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA)
In addition to being API-driven, ISPs also use frameworks like service-oriented architectures. SOAs make components deployed in web service solutions reusable through service interfaces defined using Web Service Definition Language (WSDL).
Unlike most APIs that use REST-standard-based protocols, the service interfaces exposed via SOA use SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) to send HTTP or JSON/HTTP requests. While older than REST, SOAP remains prevalent in enterprise environments, particularly in financial services and healthcare, where its built-in security and transaction handling are valued.
Enterprise Service Bus (ESB)
Instead of using API integrations directly, an ISP can also employ an architectural pattern known as the Enterprise Service Bus, which is a vital component of SOA.
ESB uses centralized software components to execute integration between applications. It handles connectivity, performs message routing, plus the transformation of data models. ESBs are particularly useful when integrating many applications with complex routing logic, though they require more infrastructure management than pure API approaches.
The iPaaS Model
To reach customers, ISPs predominantly operate an integration platform as a service (iPaaS) business model. In fact, integrated service providers have mostly become synonymous with iPaaS since they primarily use this subscription-based pricing structure.
The iPaaS configuration provides enterprises with a set of automated tools to establish connections between core business applications in a turnkey manner. Enterprises aren’t required to install or set up hardware or manage additional resources.
An integration service provider should ideally operate both cloud-native and on-premise deployments, better still if they can provide customers with hybrid options, which is increasingly important for organizations with strict data residency or security requirements.
Types of Integration Service Providers
With a better understanding of how ISPs work, let’s discuss the existing variations.
System Integrators
These are companies with expertise in bringing together different components of a subsystem into a functional whole. They provide enterprises with the necessary planning, coordination, scheduling, implementation, and testing required for computing system integration.
System integrators typically work on larger, more complex projects that involve multiple vendor solutions. They may combine hardware, software, and networking components to create a cohesive infrastructure that meets specific business requirements.
Case: A manufacturing company needs to connect its ERP system with shop floor IoT sensors, quality management software, and supply chain platforms.
Solution: A system integrator designs the overall architecture, selects appropriate middleware, and implements the connections while ensuring data flows correctly between all components.
Managed Service Providers (MSPs)
These are third parties that manage an organization’s IT infrastructure remotely. They typically serve small and medium-sized businesses that can’t afford in-house IT personnel to manage day-to-day tech operations.
In discharging their duties, MSPs provide integration services on behalf of their clients to ensure systems work effectively. Integration platforms like Exalate specifically support MSP scenarios, allowing providers to maintain separate instances for different clients with custom SLA rules, independent access controls, and multi-client connection management—all without requiring direct system access or additional tool licenses.
Platform-as-a-Service Providers
These are integration services that give companies both deployment and development environments. Since they are cloud-based solutions, they deliver resources that enable data transformation through sophisticated enterprise applications.
PaaS providers differ from pure iPaaS in that they often include application development capabilities alongside integration features. Organizations can build custom applications that leverage integrated data from multiple sources.
Business Process Integration Providers
These mainly deal with large enterprise clients who want to leverage their vast information sources efficiently. Business process integrators assist such clients by connecting disparate systems and integrating numerous business processes into a single, cohesive unit.
These providers focus less on point-to-point connections and more on end-to-end workflow orchestration that spans multiple systems and departments.
What are the Common Use Cases for Integration Service Providers and iPaaS?
Just as data uses aren’t homogeneous, all data integration and transformation scenarios differ. Here are the most common applications.
Application-to-Application Integration
This ensures different applications can seamlessly establish connections through permeable interfaces.
Case: A software company’s support team uses Zendesk while the development team works in Jira. When customers report bugs, support creates tickets that need to reach developers—but neither team wants to switch tools or manually copy information.
Solution: An integration syncs Zendesk tickets flagged as bugs to Jira work items automatically. When developers update status or add comments, those changes reflect back to Zendesk so support can update customers.
Real-world application: Exalate customers use this pattern to connect Freshdesk support instances with Jira development environments, enabling bidirectional sync of customer-reported issues without requiring cross-team tool adoption.
Data Integration and Synchronization
This permits real-time synchronization and data flow between systems through managing complex data format translations.
Case: An organization maintains customer data in Salesforce, but the implementation team works in ServiceNow. When deals close, implementation needs immediate access to customer details, technical requirements, and contract terms.
Solution: Integration maps Salesforce opportunity fields to ServiceNow project records, transforming data formats and applying business rules during the sync process.
Real-world application: Professional services firms sync closed-won opportunities to project management platforms, automatically creating project records with all relevant customer context, eliminating sales-to-delivery handoff delays.
Microservice Integration
The proliferation of microservice architecture has increased the need for data integration to generate, support, and publish APIs automatically.
Case: A banking application uses separate microservices for accounts, transactions, fraud detection, and notifications. These services need to communicate reliably without tight coupling.
Solution: An integration layer provides API management, message routing, and event-driven communication between microservices while maintaining service independence.
Real-world application: Digital banks use integration platforms to orchestrate real-time fraud checks, balance updates, and customer notifications whenever transactions occur, without individual services needing direct knowledge of each other.
Multiple Cloud Integration
ISPs enable organizations to manage complex integration from multiple public cloud sources.
Case: A company uses AWS for its core application, Azure for data analytics, and Google Cloud for machine learning workloads. Data needs to flow between these environments for comprehensive business intelligence.
Solution: ISPs provide connectors and data pipelines that move information between cloud platforms, handling authentication, format conversion, and scheduling.
Real-world application: Retail companies aggregate point-of-sale data from on-premises systems with cloud-based analytics and ML prediction services, enabling inventory optimization based on real-time demand signals.
Big Data Integration
Fostering data analytics and business intelligence with complex Big Data integrations requires specialized handling of volume, velocity, and variety.
Case: A healthcare organization wants to combine electronic health records, claims data, clinical trial results, and social determinants of health for population health analysis.
Solution: Integration platforms extract data from disparate sources, transform it into consistent formats, and load it into data lakes or warehouses for analysis.
Real-world application: Health systems integrate clinical, financial, and operational data to identify at-risk populations, optimize care pathways, and demonstrate value-based care outcomes.
Cross-Company Collaboration
Modern business increasingly requires data exchange between separate organizations: partners, vendors, customers, and suppliers.
Case: An OEM manufacturer needs to share design specifications, quality data, and production schedules with tier-one suppliers while maintaining control over what information each supplier can access.
Solution: Integration platforms establish secure connections between company instances, with granular control over data sharing rules and access permissions.
Real-world application: Seven in ten organizations using Exalate run at least one cross-company connection, syncing data with external partners, vendors, and MSPs while maintaining strict control over what’s shared across organizational boundaries.
Features to Consider When Choosing an Integration Service Provider
Selecting the right integration platform requires evaluating capabilities across multiple dimensions. Here’s what to prioritize.
Sync Direction and Flexibility
One-way sync copies data from source to destination without return updates. It’s suitable for reporting, archival, or notification scenarios.
Bidirectional sync allows changes in either system to propagate to the other. This is essential when multiple teams actively work in different tools on related data.
Independent control enables each side of an integration to define its own rules for what data it sends and receives. Exalate provides this capability, letting organizations maintain autonomy over their data while still participating in integrations—particularly valuable for cross-company scenarios.
Field Mapping and Data Transformation
Basic platforms offer simple one-to-one field mapping. Enterprise needs typically require:
- Conditional mapping based on field values
- Data type conversion (dates, numbers, text formats)
- Default value handling for missing fields
- Custom field support for platform-specific extensions
- Attachment and comment synchronization
Exalate’s Groovy-based scripting engine supports any transformation that can be expressed in code, while Aida generates scripts from natural language descriptions—reducing implementation time by 50% and script errors by 85%.
Real-Time vs. Scheduled Sync
Real-time sync uses webhooks or event listeners to detect changes immediately and propagate them within seconds. This is critical for support escalations, incident management, and collaborative development.
Scheduled sync polls for changes at defined intervals. It’s appropriate for batch processes, reporting, or scenarios where immediate updates aren’t required.
Most enterprise scenarios require real-time sync with automatic retry mechanisms for handling temporary failures. Look for platforms that maintain transactional sync queues, tracking changes in order and applying them sequentially when systems recover.
AI-Assisted Configuration
Modern platforms increasingly use AI to accelerate integration setup:
- Aida generates sync scripts from natural language prompts, making advanced customization accessible without deep technical expertise
These capabilities reduce the integration learning curve and enable faster time-to-value, particularly for organizations without dedicated integration developers.
Security and Compliance
Enterprise integrations handle sensitive data and require robust security controls. Evaluate:
- Certifications: ISO, GDPR compliance
- Encryption: TLS 1.2/1.3 for data in transit, AES-256 for data at rest
- Authentication: JWT tokens, OAuth 2.0, API key management
- Access control: Role-based permissions, IP whitelisting
- Monitoring: Security operations center coverage, incident response procedures
Exalate maintains ISO 27001:2022 certification and provides detailed security documentation at the Trust Center, enabling security teams to evaluate compliance with internal policies.
Scalability and Performance
Integration platforms must handle growth in data volume, number of connections, and sync frequency without degradation:
- Support for high-volume sync scenarios
- Ability to add connections without architectural changes
- Performance SLAs with defined throughput guarantees
- Horizontal scaling options for enterprise deployments
Deployment Flexibility
Different organizations have different infrastructure requirements:
- Cloud-native: Fully managed service with automatic updates
- On-premise: Self-hosted deployment for maximum control
- Docker: Containerized deployment for hybrid environments
- Private cloud: Dedicated instances for security-sensitive workloads
Exalate supports all these deployment models, allowing organizations to choose based on their security, compliance, and operational requirements.
Support and Documentation
Evaluate the vendor’s support model:
- Response time SLAs for different severity levels
- Availability of implementation support
- Self-service documentation quality
- Community resources and knowledge bases
- Training programs for users and administrators
Advantages of Using an Integration Service Provider
One of the main benefits of adopting an integration service provider is organizational empowerment across multiple dimensions.
Fast and Uncomplicated Data Integrations
ISPs simplify and speed up the process of data integration. Pre-built connectors, visual configuration tools, and AI-assisted setup reduce implementation time from months to days. Organizations can establish new connections without dedicated integration developers or extensive custom coding.
Business Intelligence Enhancement
Cleaning and harmonizing data from various sources provides the best quality for business operations and intelligence. When data flows automatically between systems, analysts work with current, consistent information rather than stale exports or manual consolidations.
Accelerated Innovation
The real-time business insights gained from streamlined data integration improve business efficiency and creativity. Teams spend less time on manual data entry and more time on value-adding activities. When systems communicate automatically, process improvements can be implemented rapidly.
Shortened Deployment Time
ISPs allow software engineers to develop, test, and deploy integrations easily. Configuration-based approaches, sandbox environments, and version control enable iterative development with lower risk. Changes can be tested before production deployment.
Operational Convenience
Out-of-the-box connectivity solutions offer low friction of use and maintenance. Cloud-based ISPs handle infrastructure, updates, and scalability automatically. On-premise options provide control for organizations with specific requirements.
Event Monitoring
Managing integration solutions with access to process and system event logs enables proactive issue resolution. When syncs fail or encounter errors, administrators receive alerts and can diagnose problems using detailed logging. Automatic retry mechanisms handle transient failures without manual intervention.
Cost-Effectiveness
ISPs eliminate the need for hiring expensive specialists to perform in-house integrations. They provide businesses with the ability to implement high-performance integration at an optimum price with an adequate degree of reliability.
Calculate time and money savings from automated bidirectional sync.
Unified View of Data
ISPs offer organizations a means to establish a shared and holistic view of data from disparate sources. When all systems contain consistent, current information, stakeholders across departments make decisions based on the same facts.
More Effective Tech Stack
Integration service providers enable organizations to break down tech silos using specialized tools and resources more suitable to their business objectives. Teams can use best-in-class tools for their specific functions while maintaining data consistency across the organization.
Improved Customer Experience
Better integrated data allows organizations to offer customers better, personalized experiences tailored to their needs. When support teams see the full customer history, when implementation teams have complete project context, and when success teams understand usage patterns, customers receive more informed, responsive service.
Selecting a Competent Integration Service Provider
In choosing an integration service provider, qualities like dependability, security, and industry expertise should be priorities. Exalate has a track record as an integration service provider, supporting increased scalability, flexibility, and maintainability across industries.
Exalate provides AI-powered customization options through its AI-assisted configuration features. Users can rely on Aida to generate scripts for complex integration scenarios using natural language prompts.
The platform supports connections to Jira, ServiceNow, Salesforce, Freshservice, Freshdesk, Zendesk, Azure DevOps, Azure DevOps Server, GitHub, Asana, and additional platforms through custom connectors. With ISO 27001:2022 certification and comprehensive security documentation, Exalate meets enterprise compliance requirements.
Check out how a cross-platform integration tool like Exalate operates to offer you the flexibility of autonomous, bidirectional synchronization.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between an ISP and iPaaS?
Integration service providers have largely become synonymous with iPaaS (integration platform as a service), since most ISPs now operate using this cloud-based, subscription model. While “ISP” is a broader term that includes system integrators and managed service providers, iPaaS specifically refers to cloud-hosted integration platforms that provide pre-built connectors, automation tools, and configuration interfaces as a subscription service.
Which platforms can ISPs typically connect?
Exalate supports connections between ITSM platforms (ServiceNow, Freshservice, Freshdesk, Zendesk), development tools (Jira, Azure DevOps, GitHub, Asana), CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot), and many other enterprise applications. It also supports custom connectors for proprietary systems with available REST APIs, extending integration reach beyond standard offerings.
How do ISPs handle security and compliance?
Enterprise-grade ISPs maintain security certifications such as ISO 27001:2022. They use TLS 1.2/1.3 encryption for data in transit, implement JWT tokens and role-based access controls, and often operate 24/7 security operations centers. Organizations should review vendor security documentation and Trust Center to evaluate compliance with internal policies.
Can ISPs support cross-company integrations?
Yes, modern ISPs enable secure data exchange between separate organizations. This is particularly important for partners, vendors, MSPs, and suppliers who need to collaborate without sharing full system access. Platforms like Exalate provide independent control over what data each side sends and receives, maintaining organizational autonomy while enabling collaboration.
Can ISPs support both cloud and on-premise systems?
Yes, enterprise ISPs like Exalate typically offer flexible deployment options, including cloud-native (fully managed), on-premise (self-hosted), Docker (containerized), and hybrid configurations. This flexibility is important for organizations with strict data residency requirements, air-gapped environments, or specific security policies that require self-hosted deployments.
How do AI-assisted features help with integration configuration?
Exalate uses AI to accelerate integration setup. Script generators like Aida create sync rules from natural language prompts, reducing the need for deep technical expertise. These capabilities lower the barrier to entry for complex integrations while reducing implementation errors.
Recommended Reads:
- The Comprehensive Guide to iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service)
- Top 14 iPaaS Solutions
- An Overview of Integrated Service Management (ISM)
- Exploring Ways To Implement Managed Services Integration
- Service Integration and Management (SIAM): The Complete Guide
- How to Build an Effective SIAM Operating Model
