“Wait… we have AppConnect already?”
If you’ve worked with the IBM Maximo Application Suite (MAS), you may have encountered complex integration challenges, especially when connecting MAS to enterprise systems like SAP S/4HANA or legacy databases. Most teams immediately turn to the familiar: Maximo SAP Adapter using SAP PI/PO or CPI as middleware. But hidden in plain sight—tucked away in your MAS installation images and quietly referenced in the license terms—lies a powerful, underutilized capability: IBM App Connect Enterprise (ACE), included with MAS and ready to simplify your integration journey.
What Is ACE Doing in My MAS?
As surprising as it may sound, IBM AppConnect is already part of your MAS entitlement — a restricted-use license, allowing you to build integration flows as long as one side of the integration is MAS. In fact, if you read Point #10 of the IBM MAS license document (L-GRJQ-AJY62V), it clearly states:
“This license covers inclusion of a restricted use entitlement to IBM AppConnect Enterprise for solution integration where one end of the integration pattern is to IBM Maximo Application Suite…”
So yes, you're good to go if your use case is MAS ↔ SAP S/4HANA, MAS ↔ Salesforce, or even MAS ↔ legacy system.
- No extra ACE license is required.
- No need to involve SAP middleware (unless you want to).
- Indeed, there is no need to write custom scripts and BAPI wrappers from scratch.
ACE vs. SAP PI/PO: Rethinking Integration Architecture
Let’s take a typical use case: Maximo and SAP integration.
Traditional Setup:
- Maximo SAP Adapter
- SAP PI/PO or SAP CPI
- IDoc/BAPI configurations
- Middleware managed by SAP BASIS team
Emerging Agile Alternative:
- MAS on OpenShift
- ACE on OpenShift (same or separate cluster)
- Drag-and-drop integration flows using SAP connectors.
- Owned and maintained by the MAS project team
With ACE, you can:
- Transform data using visual mapping tools
- Orchestrates multi-step flows
- Integrate SAP, ESRI, Salesforce, and more — all from the same platform
All of this runs within your MAS ecosystem without needing to depend on external SAP middleware or coordination overhead.
So Why Isn’t Everyone Doing This?
The reasons:
- IBM MAS documentation currently does not highlight App Connect.
- Most MAS-focused teams are not trained on ACE.
- ACE experts don’t typically engage in Maximo projects.
- And most of us only discovered it by exploring the install files or reading the fine print in the license agreement.
The Opportunity for Partners and Architects
This is where IBM partners and Maximo experts can shine. By embracing ACE, you can:
- Accelerate integration delivery
- Reduce dependency on external middleware
- Create scalable, reusable integration patterns
- Position your team as forward-looking digital transformation enablers
If you’re an IBM partner or client invested in MAS, you might already have all the tools you need — you just haven’t unlocked them yet.
Where to Start
Here’s a simple starter roadmap for your team:
- Set up ACE on OpenShift (same or separate cluster as MAS).
- Explore the SAP connectors – start with basic BAPI calls or OData.
- Build a PoC flow (e.g., create a work order in Maximo and post a service confirmation to SAP).
- Package common flows into reusable templates for future projects.
- Bonus: Pair this with Maximo’s REST APIs and Event Listeners, and you’ll have a fully event-driven integration platform.
The Future: MAS Integration Framework, Reimagined
If we dream a little, the current Maximo-SAP Adapter (relying on SAP CPI) could eventually evolve into a native ACE-powered integration accelerator. Why?
Because:
- ACE is already cloud-native and runs on OpenShift.
- It offers low-code development and real-time monitoring.
- It supports the hybrid enterprise — on-prem, cloud, or both.
It just makes sense.
Final Thoughts
IBM gave us ACE inside MAS — quietly, but powerfully. It’s time we bring it to the surface, build internal capability, and modernize how we think about integration in the Maximo world. If we can turn AppConnect into a first-class citizen of the Maximo ecosystem, we can deliver faster, smarter, and more sustainable solutions to our clients. Let’s unlock that hidden hero— and start integrating like it’s 2025.
Jakarta, April 2025
#IBMChampion
