Software AG has shared its view of trends in integration, API (application program interface) and MDM (master data management) technologies based on its interactions and observations from more than 4,000 customers.

Navdeep Sidhu, senior director, Integration & API Management Product Marketing for Software AG, noted: “Digital transformation cannot happen quickly enough. In 2016, we will continue to see this digital trend as consumer behavior further drives change and puts a question mark on every business model. I believe there are eight key trends that we will see arise through the year.”

1. Everything will be Hybrid

The complexity of cloud adoption and the need for increased innovation to build digital apps will force IT to explore different cloud options. Companies will want hybrid cloud, hybrid integration and even managed cloud. Companies will move away fromjust cloud solutions to real hybrid solutions. Instead of just focusing on public and private cloud options, IT will increasingly explore other models for flexibility and control.

2. APIs will get their SWAGGER back

The Swagger API framework is becoming the de facto standard and initiatives like Open API are further standardizing the role of Swagger in API development. We predict that Swagger will gain further traction and over time become the most widely used standard for APIs. Vendors will rally behind the Open API initiative and give Swagger a much-needed boost to become the dominating API standard and RAML (RESTful API modeling language) will fade over time.

3. APIs will Enable ‘Self-Service’ Integration

Imagine a world where everything is an API and all your data is immediately accessible to you and those you choose. That includes your customers, partners, suppliers, banks and just about everyone in your ecosystem. How will you manage this complicated world of data access? APIs will provide the answer and self-service style on-boarding for APIs will drive integration.

4. Bimodal goes Mainstream

Citizen developers and citizen integrators will co-exist peacefully with IT teams to deliver new applications and interfaces to speed the overall innovation quotient of the organization. Different integration models will come together under IT and thrive. 

5. Integration will Capture Big Data’s Hidden Value

Companies have been adopting Hadoop platforms for storing data sets without actualizing the full value. Increased integration of existing systems with newly acquired Hadoop platforms will unlock the hidden value, enabling Big Data to finally be used to make smart decisions to improve customer satisfaction.

6. Microservices will Demolish Monolithic Architectures

The microservices movement will gain strength and slowly keep drilling away at the foundation of monolithic architectures. As organizations speed up digital transformation, they will realize that the biggest roadblock to faster innovation is the legacy monolithic architectures—and will find ways to adopt more “DevOps” friendly microservices-based architectures.

7. IoT will Meet MDM

The expanding definition of Customer-360 means MDM will incorporate data about customer buying preferences, linking that data to standard MDM data quality processes, such as cleansing and matching. Synchronizing and enriching the customer master record through device-generated sensor data will become a more common requirement for MDM’s customer consolidation process. 

8. MDM Will Get Prettier – and Smarter

MDM solutions will continue to increase support for business data stewards by simplifying work views, creating more application-oriented interfaces, and integrating business intelligence tools and “dash-boarding” to understand the value and impact of superior data quality on business processes.  

Navdeep Sidhu concluded: “This year the focus will be on finding the necessary IT capabilities for faster transformation, as organizations realize that existing models are not capable of supporting it. At the end of the day, all of our predictions point to how organizations can build better business applications—as those will be the manifestation of how they will become digital enterprises.”