Gartner just recently published the 2023 Hype Cycle for Application Architecture and Integration. Not surprisingly, topping the list of major trends is Artificial Intelligence, and especially Generative AI, which allows software engineering and application integration leaders “to accelerate integration development through a conversational interface, as well as optimize the existing integrations on the platform.”

 Other key trends that Gartner identifies are:

• The resurgence of microservices which have now reached a level of maturity enabling organizations to benefit from this architecture far more effectively.
•  Data accessibility and data sharing, and the role they play in making data available to applications in an efficient streamlined way.
•  Extensible platform architecture and deployment: Organizations are starting to reap the benefits of a mature hybrid cloud technology landscape. Specifically, this is reflected in the adoption of low-code application platforms and PaaS technologies among others, which are enabling organizations to be more agile and achieve faster time to value.

There are many technologies and solution types mentioned in the Hype Cycle. Digital Integration Hub (DIH) is one that stands out, and where GigaSpaces was mentioned as a leading vendor with its Smart DIH digital integration hub platform.

A Digital Integration Hub is a data platform that aggregates and replicates data from multiple diverse systems, delivering event-driven data microservices to applications in real-time. 

Digital Integration Hubs are a core component of modern data and application architectures. Increasingly, digital services and apps rely on APIs. Digital Integration Hubs deliver data from underlying Systems of Record (SoRs) and expose it as data microservices to consuming apps. This architecture offers several key benefits that enable digital initiatives in multi-cloud and cloud environments.

So how does a Digital Integration Hub benefit data and application teams?

Existing integration patterns can lead to performance, scalability and availability limitations when SoRs are bombarded with digital requests.  By decoupling SoRs from apps, digital requests are handled directly by the DIH, protecting the SoRs from overload while simplifying application integration patterns and dependencies. As a result: 

• Digital services are highly responsive thanks to reduced workloads on SoRs.
• Apps are highly available since data is always fresh and accessible, enabled by event-driven architecture.
•  Thanks to low code microservices, integration teams can respond rapidly and meet rising demands for data APIs.
• Thanks to decoupling, application integration patterns are simplified and streamlined, reducing risk and ensuring successful and fast service launches.

 As noted in the report, there are numerous business benefits to implementing a Digital Integration Hub. These include:

• Lower operational costs: by lowering the number of application requests to SoRs, SoR workloads are reduced. 
• Superior customer experience, thanks to 24X7 service availability and continuously fresh data delivered in real-time to apps.
• Rapid launch of new services thanks to low code API wizards

So how does a Digital Integration Hub tie into the three key application integration trends that Gartner mentions in their report?

The resurgence of microservices

Due to the increase in digital services, integration teams are facing increasing demand for data access services from application teams. Digital Integration Hubs sit at the intersection of data and applications, providing apps with data via APIs in real-time. In this regard, Digital Integration Hubs are enabling data, application, and integration engineers to benefit from modern event-driven data APIs to fuel digital and modernization initiatives.

Data accessibility and data sharing

Digital Integration Hubs break down data silos by consolidating it in a highly performant event-driven data layer. Data is always fresh and always available. And since it is exposed through APIs, it is easily accessible and can be easily shared between the supply and demand side of the data chain. 

Extensible platform architecture and deployment

Digital Integration Hubs enable organizations to optimize their hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Low code interfaces enable data and integration teams to deliver data services to and from multiple stakeholders in a streamlined manner across collocated hubs, providing agility and ensuring fast time to value – no matter where the underlying systems are. For this reason, it’s not surprising that Digital Integration Hubs are also listed as highly beneficial in the latest Gartner Hype Cycle for Cloud Platform Services. 

One of the obstacles to successful DIH implementations noted in the report is the very high complexity of a ‘do it yourself’ approach, and the specialized skill set required. 

GigaSpaces solves this issue. Smart DIH is an off-the-shelf DIH platform tried and tested by leading enterprises worldwide. With Smart DIH, organizations reduce the risk of getting mired down in a complex and costly build-it-yourself project. Smart DIH slashes implementation timelines – ensuring that organizations reap the full benefits of a successful deployment sooner rather than later. According to Gartner, a Digital Integration Hub offers a ‘High’ benefit rating, signifying that it “Enables new ways of performing horizontal or vertical processes that will result in significantly increased revenue or cost savings for an enterprise.” 

To learn more about Smart DIH, read the solution brochure.