There are cases where the most efficient way to connect two systems is direct, without any middleware or central integration platform.

Suite Business Software still needs to be resident on one of the systems being connected, i.e., one of the systems allows you to act as a platform from which your integration will make calls to the other system in order to import data, such as orders and also export data, such as shipping info. Examples are an ERP system connected to an eCommerce system, such as Acumatica and Shopify, or Salesforce and Arena solutions.

Conversely, you may want to ‘host’ your integration between the two end-points, on a central integration platform. The integration code resident in the integration platform will then make API calls to each system, capture the required data, transform the data as needed and then send it or post it to the destination system. The source and destination is switched, depending on the required data flow.

An advantage of an integration platform is that you can switch out one of the end-points and continue to use the connectivity and business logic of the other endpoint. For example, say you are connecting Acumatica ERP to Shopify eCommerce via the central platform. If you now want to connect to a fulfillment or 3PL system, you can add that endpoint and continue to utilize your connection to Acumatica ERP. An example of such an integration platform is Celigo’s Integrator IO.

In any given organization, you can have some integrations that are system-to-system direct, while using an integration platform for other connections.