SaaS Integration: LogMeIn

First gaining popularity in the CRM market, Software as a Service (SaaS) applications are now available across different categories of enterprise software. LogMeIn offers a range of SaaS products that support remote access, systems administration, file sharing, VPN, and data back up.

LogMeIn products, for instance, can be used by companies to provide IT support and training to customers in real time. To better align IT with business goals and facilitate support services, however, LogMeIn needs to be integrated with other SaaS and on-premise systems.

Application integration has in fact become the primary challenge facing SaaS users. As new SaaS applications are deployed, enterprise data builds up in cloud silos. This data needs to be accessible to other SaaS applications and on-premise systems in order to make business processes more efficient. Today’s web applications, moreover, are increasingly built from different components to deliver high quality products and services to end-users. Integration is thus crucial for minimizing cloud silos and developing next-generation applications.

LogMeIn Integration Use Cases

To enhance the customer experience and increase the overall business value of LogMeIn offerings, users can integrate them with the following:

• Online ticketing systems and help desk software such as Zendesk to manage and keep track of support requests from customers;
• Chat tools such as LiveChat to enable support staff to respond to customer inquiries in real time; and
• HR applications such as Kenexa integration or Taleo integration to synchronize employee information across the organization.

As new SaaS applications are introduced, LogMeIn users will likely encounter new scenarios where integration is necessary. In the meantime, users need solutions that can effectively meet current integration needs.

Custom Integration Code for LogMeIn

A common approach for integrating LogMeIn and other SaaS applications (particularly when SaaS first became popular and few packaged integration solutions were available) is to write custom integration code. This typically involves a team of in-house developers who build connectors by writing their own code. With this approach, connectors are tailored to specific use cases so that integrations can be aligned with business needs.

Despite this advantage, a custom approach to integration has a number of disadvantages. These include:

• Time Commitment and Costs: As developers with firsthand experience of writing custom integration code are aware, building connectors from scratch is a time-consuming and tedious process. The time commitment required by a custom integration approach means that “go live” times can be delayed and other development projects receive less attention. When integration consultants are hired to assist with the project, moreover, it becomes difficult to keep costs within your budget.
• Scale and Elasticity: In situations where only a few SaaS applications need to be integrated, writing custom integration code is a manageable process. As business needs change and additional SaaS applications are deployed, however, building connectors for each new SaaS becomes an unsustainable approach, further slowing down deployment times and limiting the attention of developers to other projects. For businesses expecting rapid growth, a custom approach to integration presents a major roadblock.
• Maintenance: A custom integration approach also requires regular maintenance and upgrades by in-house IT teams. To ensure that custom integrations operate smoothly, in-house developers need to monitor performance and make regular upgrades, especially when LogMeIn releases new versions of its software. Maintenance and upgrades, however, become a cumbersome task when the number of endpoints increases and enterprise infrastructures grow in complexity.

iON: Integration for the Cloud Era

In a push to simplify cloud integration and reduce the number of burdens that come with developing custom integration code, Mule iON has emerged. An Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS), Mule iON enables users to quickly and easily integrate LogMeIn with other SaaS.

Among its features, Mule iON includes:

• Out-of-the-Box Connectors and iApps: Mule iON enables users to quickly connect SaaS applications by leveraging a library of cloud connectors for popular offerings. Developers can also use Mule iON to quickly build custom integrations for specific use cases and share them with other users as packaged solutions called iApps. Taking a configuration approach to integration, Mule iON reduces the need for writing custom integration code.
• Secure Data Gateway: In addition to connecting SaaS applications, MuiON provides a simple and secure way for connecting SaaS to on-premise legacy systems through a Secure Data Gateway (SDG). The le SDG enables users to access on-premise systems without compromising the firewall.
• Browser-Based Management Portal: In order to monitor uptime and performance and quickly identify bugs and errors, visibility into integration flows is critical. Mule iON includes a browser-based management portal that provides deep visibility without requiring additional software.
• Core Cloud Features: Multi-tenancy, elasticity and scalability are all features that have come to define SaaS and other cloud services. As an iPaaS, Mule iON includes these essentials, enabling users to quickly integrate SaaS in a flexible and cost-effective way.