High cloud demand to push adoption of iPaaS, low-code platforms

Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS), a set of tools that integrate software applications deployed in different environments and low-code application platforms, that requires little to no coding to build applications and processes, are gaining momentum in the 'cloud-first' workplace. 

A recent report by analyst firm Gartner said that these cloud platforms will climb the ‘plateau of productivity’ in less than two years. As per Gartner’s hype cycle this would mean that these technologies' real-world benefits are now realised and a growing number of organisations will be keen on adopting these technologies for business gain.

Earlier, Gartner said that the overall global public cloud services spending is projected to total $498 billion in 2022, an increase of 21% year-over-year, further driving these cloud platforms to become mainstream.

“The shift to the cloud is boosting growth in the iPaaS market,” said Yefim Natis, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner, adding that “iPaaS has moved to early mainstream adoption globally, reaching 20% to 50% of the global target audience who will use iPaaS offerings to integrate not only applications and data, but also ecosystems, APIs, and business processes.”

According to Gartner, global iPaas end user spending is projected to total $5.6 billion in 2022, up 18.5% from 2021. iPaaS not only attracts large organisations, but also midsize and small organisations with its ease of access, versatility, and low initial cost, the analyst firm said.

“Organisations choose iPaaS to support rapid integration and automation of SaaS applications with other SaaS and on-premise applications and data sources. More recently organisations are increasingly replacing classic integration platforms, that are now considered too expensive and complex for modern integration delivery practices,” commented Natis.

Likewise, low-code services moved to mainstream maturity globally, reaching more than 50% of the global target audience. Gartner analysts estimate that the low-code platform revenue market will total $7.4 billion in 2022, an increase of 28.4% year over year.

Analyst firm IDC also said that by 2023, the low-code movement will yield 500 million new apps—more than in the previous 40 years combined. This rapid adoption of low-code development will deliver a wide range of benefits to the business, the IT department and individual employees. The study also said that already 60% of all custom apps are built outside the IT department. And 30% of those are built by employees with limited or no technical development skills.

In a November 2021 report, Gartner analysts said that more than 85% of organisations will embrace a cloud-first strategies, including platforms and services, by 2025 and will not be able to fully execute on their digital strategies without the use of cloud-native architectures and technologies.