Issue link: https://axway.uberflip.com/i/991661
axway.com Separate but equal is a thing of the past Every day, organizations around the world rely on complex networks of partners, banks, vendors and customers to conduct business. To keep up with advances in technology, increasing data volumes and expanding connections, companies are paying closer attention to their B2B integration strategy. Modern B2B integration solutions need to be more open, flexible and scalable. And they must utilize, and work in concert with, APIs to support new customer experiences. Depending on the nature of the B2B relationship between two parties, and the type of software and devices used, B2B data transactions can occur on any combination of channels: EDI, FTP, API, or REST/SOAP-based web services. However, this multi-channel B2B configuration is not optimal because it consists of separate integration silos that must be governed individually, incurring a higher total cost of ownership. For example, if your B2B integration strategy includes an EDI silo and an API silo, it means: • Higher costs of maintaining core infrastructure. Taking on the costs associated with managing two systems, two support teams, and two databases. • Greater risk of non-compliance with government standards or SLAs. Providing visibility into each system, tracking and tracing inventory of each system, and managing access rights for each system is a lot to manage. • Lost business. Onboarding partners and customers into separate systems is more complicated and takes a long time. Increasing the time to market that you're able to support for your customers or partners tarnishes your reputation and net new business. What's needed is a single system that governs the flow of all data transactions. Is there a way to allow for centralized visibility, performance monitoring and tighter security, but also strengthen engagement through apps that enhance the customer experience? Yes. But it's worth understanding how each integration technology complements one another to form a complete picture for today's digital B2B integration.