iPaaS vs. Full Lifecycle API Management: Why You Need Both

Overtime, new technologies have brought about new software architectures — iPaaS emerged as IT infrastructures began implementing on-demand cloud services. Before iPaaS there was Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and eventually Platform as a Service (PaaS). And as enterprise technology stacks grew, the need for an integration platform as a service emerged.

iPaaS is a platform for building and deploying integrations within the cloud and between the cloud and the enterprise. Enterprise iPaaS solutions are the next generation of cloud applications that enable connectivity with other cloud-based software, SaaS, on-premises, and legacy applications. With iPaaS, users can develop and deploy integration flows between these systems without installing or managing any hardware or middleware.

APIs are a method for integrating enterprise systems and are often the vehicle that enables iPaaS solutions. API management is the process of overseeing and managing those APIs across their full lifecycle — from designing, publishing, documenting, analyzing, and beyond.

Solutions that manage the full API lifecycle provide a means of creating and deploying the API as well as the ability to govern, secure, and manage those APIs. API management solutions provide a single pane of glass to ensure visibility into APIs across the organization and that each API is secured properly, as well as serviced and troubleshot when errors arise. These solutions also provide a way for APIs to be easily accessed and discovered across the organization to be reused for other projects.

API management solutions offer various features such as API design studios, API analytics, can serve as an API gateway, and even API stores.

Enterprise technology stacks are exploding. Organizations need connectivity — but with the sheer number of systems, applications, and devices they have — integration gets a bit messy.

iPaaS and API management both have different beginnings — iPaaS rising from the cloud-oriented needs and API management from developer-centric needs to unlock and reuse the APIs for different endpoints. But now, organizations need the unique cloud-based integrations that come along with iPaaS solutions and the governing power of a full lifecycle API management system.

It’s not enough to simply create an API and deploy it — enterprise iPaaS and full API lifecycle management solutions are both needed to compliment each other.

Organizations across industries must unlock data quickly to increase their speed, agility, and efficiency. MuleSoft’s Anypoint Platform makes it easy to connect data from any system — to deliver critical, time-sensitive projects. Companies can start fast and realize immediate value, all in a future-proof way that turns data and processes into composable building blocks.