Feature
Solutions are one thing. Integration is another — and it's often is a bigger deal than the solutions themselves. To address that bottleneck, Jitterbit has announced general availability of its cloud-based enterprise Harmony Integration Platform.
The idea is to connect applications across a business "in days, rather than weeks or months," the company noted. The Alameda, Calif.-based Jitterbit touts its "Clicks Not Code" approach, where business analysts and other non-technical users can connect applications and build connected processes using a graphical interface. The company is positioning this ease-of-use as a key differentiator with other integration solutions.
'Biggest Product Release'
Jitterbit emphasizes Harmony's ability to connect Salesforce in particular with any cloud, on-premise, social or mobile app, via a Data Loader that imports/exports Salesforce data.
According to a new report from CMS/community provider DNN, integration is a key reason marketing has gotten so complex for small- and medium-sized businesses. The individual tools are fairly straightforward to employ, the report said, but getting lead capturing software to talk to your CMS, for instance, is another thing entirely.
An example use case provided by Jitterbit: a call center rep has to resolve a customer billing issue. Through Harmony, cloud-based front-office applications can be connected to billing in the ERP (enterprise resource planning backend).
Deployment options are completely in the cloud, or, if one wants, on-site or in a hybrid version. Through the Jitterbit Studio, a user selects options and the Jitterbit Automapper automatically configures the exchange. A Visual Workflow Designer and built-in formulas for business logic enable the mapping of business processes, potentially between hundreds of applications.
Harmony was originally announced last November, with general availability initially scheduled for the first quarter this year. CEO George Gallegos said in a statement that this is the "biggest product release in our 10-year history." In January, the company reported record growth in 2013, including a doubling of its customer base to more than 25,000 users.
Jitterbit is designed for employees, customers and partners, but, as the Internet of Things heats up and consumers' lives become more complex, expect to see more do-it-yourself, cloud-based integration platforms for everyday use, such as IFTTT.
