In today's fast-paced, digital-first world, businesses are continuously evolving to keep up with the ever-changing technological landscape. With the growing need for seamless integration of applications, data, and systems, it has become increasingly important for organizations to adopt and implement robust integration tools. One such powerful tool is IBM's App Connect, which streamlines the process of connecting applications, services, and data, enabling businesses to focus on their core objectives. However, for those evaluating integration tools, it’s important to prioritize out-of-the-box capabilities that will allow businesses to accelerate their journey.
Thankfully, with Automation Explorer anyone can easily access a catalog of connectors (coming soon templates!) so that they can quickly assess if the right capabilities for their needs exist. Automation Explorer also includes our Connector Development Kit so if you don’t already see what you need, you can quickly build it yourself.
What is Automation Explorer?
Automation Explorer is a comprehensive online hub for discovering, learning, and accessing IBM supported and community-built integration assets, particularly connectors and templates. By offering a user-friendly, interactive experience, Automation Explorer helps prospective customers quickly and easily understand the power and flexibility of our out-of-the-box assets, ultimately empowering them to make informed decisions about their integration needs. It also hosts our Connector Development Kit (CDK) so that community members and business partners can build and share their own assets.
Why is Automation Explorer Important for New Customers?
For those new to the world of integration, navigating through the numerous available tools and resources can be a daunting task. Automation Explorer simplifies this process by providing a one-stop-shop for viewing all connectors and templates. With its user-friendly interface and extensive collection of resources, new customers can easily access the information they need to then get started with a free trial in App Connect.
Why are Out-of-the-Box Capabilities Key for Integration?
Out-of-the-box capabilities are essential for integration as they allow organizations to rapidly deploy, configure, and customize their integration solutions without the need for extensive development or coding. Some of the benefits of out-of-the-box capabilities include:
Faster Time-to-Value: Out-of-the-box features and functionalities allow businesses to quickly start integrating their applications, data, and systems, reducing the time it takes to see tangible results.
Lower Costs: By offering pre-built connectors, templates, and integration patterns, out-of-the-box capabilities minimize the need for custom development, significantly reducing the costs associated with integration projects.
Flexibility and Scalability: Out-of-the-box capabilities enable businesses to quickly adapt their integration solutions to changing requirements or to scale them as the organization grows, ensuring that the solution remains relevant and effective over time.
Simplified Maintenance: Since out-of-the-box capabilities are developed and maintained by the solution provider, businesses can benefit from regular updates, enhancements, and bug fixes without having to devote internal resources to these tasks.
What happens if I don’t see what I need?
Take advantage of our Connector Development Kit, also directly available within Automation Explorer which enables you to easily set up your own reusable connectors which can be shared with the broader community. A great reference on how to do this is available in this blog post shared here: https://community.ibm.com/community/user/integration/blogs/owen-jeffs/2023/03/24/introducing-ibm-connector-development-kit
We encourage anyone interested in our integration services to experiment with building and sharing connectors to get a taste of how quickly they can build new assets to support their business.
Automation Explorer is an invaluable resource for new customers looking to learn more about IBM's App Connect and how it can help them streamline their integration processes. Explore more with Automation Explorer and the CDK here: https://explorer.automation.ibm.com/