How WSO2 simplifies the integration of cloud and on-premises services

In today's business environment, integrating on-premises and cloud services is becoming a critical issue for organisations seeking to remain competitive. A hybrid data storage and processing model allows organisations to take advantage of the benefits of both environments: the flexibility and scalability of the cloud, and the control and security of on-premises infrastructure. However, effective hybrid integration of these models requires modern tools and approaches.

WSO2 provides a platform that helps organisations address integration challenges with high-tech solutions. With its flexibility, modularity and powerful tools, WSO2 enables cloud and on-premises integration, opening up new opportunities for digital business transformation.

What is WSO2 and its key integration capabilities?

WSO2 is a leader in digital transformation technology, helping organisations around the world simplify systems integration, secure data and innovate since 2005. WSO2's core mission is to transform technology from an obstacle to an enabler that empowers and drives success. 

The WSO2 platform provides a suite of open-source solutions that support flexible integration models for organisations of all sizes. With a focus on API management and the integration of SaaS and on-premises systems, WSO2 provides today's organisations with the tools to overcome complex hybrid integration challenges.

With more than 900 employees worldwide and offices in Australia, Germany, the USA, India and other countries, WSO2 works as a unified team to help companies transform their business with flexible and scalable API-centric solutions.

WSO2's main products are:

• WSO2 API Manager: a complete middleware solution for API management

Infographics: WSO2

WSO2 API Manager is a completely open-source solution for end-to-end API management that can run in the cloud, on-premises or in a hybrid environment. It is licensed under the Apache Software License version 2.0, making it free to use. It enables API developers to create, publish and manage the API lifecycle, and API product managers to create API products based on one or more APIs.

WSO2 API Manager Key Features

• API design and prototyping.
• Publish API products and manage their usage.
• Access control and security.
• Supporting the developer community through the portal.
• API scalability.
• Monetise and monitor APIs.
• Flexible deployment: Support for on-premises, cloud and hybrid environments.
• Support for multi-user environments.

Main components

1. API Publisher. This web interface allows you to create, document, scale and manage API versions. You can also perform monetisation and API publishing tasks.
2. Developer Portal. A modern portal for interacting with the developer community. It allows API developers to find, test and connect to APIs, as well as register for access to APIs.
3. API Gateway, which acts as a proxy server to manage API requests, ensure security and scalability, and collect statistics. It supports modern authentication mechanisms such as OAuth 2.0, JWT, Mutual SSL and others.
4. Key Manager, responsible for managing access tokens and subscriptions. It allows you to integrate third-party authentication servers to provide flexibility in key management.
5. Traffic Manager, which regulates API traffic in real-time, supports dynamic request restriction policies and provides security against attacks.
6. Analytics. The Analytics component provides statistics, graphs and monitoring tools for API management and allows you to set up alerts to detect anomalous activity.

WSO2 API Manager is a tool suitable for both technical specialists and business managers, providing full control over the API lifecycle, as well as tools for monetisation and analysis.

• WSO2 Enterprise Integrator

WSO2 Enterprise Integrator (WSO2 EI) is an open hybrid integration platform product that enables API-centric integration using architectural styles such as microservices or a centralised ESB (Enterprise Service Bus). The platform provides a graphical tool for drag-and-drop flow design and a configuration-based approach for building low-code integration solutions optimised for cloud and container environments.

Key features:

1. Routing and transformation. Supports content-based, header-based, rule-based and policy-based routing. Transform messages into different formats to ensure interoperability between systems.
2. RESTful Services and Orchestration. Provide RESTful services for integration. Combine multiple small services into a single large service.
3. Support for enterprise messaging. Message queues that allow you to process tasks without immediate response. Ensure reliable message processing without data loss.
4. SaaS integration. SaaS integration of ERP, CRM and social networks.
5. Microservices Integration. Lightweight frameworks for container environments. Native integration with container management platforms (e.g. Kubernetes).
6. Data integration. Separating data from the source layer and exposing it as services to simplify access.
7. Streaming ETL. Real-time integration of static and streaming data sources. Data processing using streaming analysis methods.
8. File processing. Automatic processing of large volumes of data in files.
9. Data change detection (CDC). Detect changes in data sources, databases and files with immediate response in real-time.
10. B2B Integration. Support for common business-to-business integration protocols.
11. Enterprise Integration Templates. Implementation of all Enterprise Integration Patterns (EIP) and common messaging scenarios.
12. Streaming data integration. Processing of data streams in motion with different destinations. Use different data processing methods to extract value.

Benefits of using WSO2 Enterprise Integrator

• Low-code approach. Speed up development with a graphical interface.
• Flexible deployment. It can be used in cloud, on-premises or hybrid environments.
• Open source. The platform is fully open source with support for the Apache 2.0 licence.
• Scalability. Supports large-scale integration scenarios.
• Extensibility. Ability to integrate with existing enterprise solutions.

WSO2 Enterprise Integrator is ideal for organisations looking for an efficient integration solution that supports the modern requirements of API-oriented and microservice architectures.

• WSO2 Identity Server 

WSO2 Identity Server is a leading open-source identity and access management (IAM) solution that helps organisations deliver secure, personalised and convenient access to users in cloud or on-premises environments.

Key benefits of WSO2 Identity Server:

1. Versatility of use. Provides access control for B2C, B2B, G2C and B2E scenarios, including consumers, citizens and business customers of your employees.
2. Advanced features for developers. A new visual editor for creating authentication flows, pre-built templates for configuring applications and authentication methods, SDKs and detailed development documentation.
3. Powerful scalability. Thanks to an efficient licensing model, it supports environments of more than 100 million users without significantly increasing costs.
4. Multiple authentication methods. It supports passwordless logins, multi-factor authentication, social login, and protection against bots and brute force attacks.
5. API integration and security. Provides enhanced API security using the FAPI standard and advanced OAuth2 features.

Key features:

• Flexible deployment. Organisations can install the WSO2 Identity Server on-premises or use cloud-based solutions, including Private Identity Cloud.
• Branding and personalisation. Provides the ability to customise with customer brands to maximise user engagement.
• Regulatory compliance. Integration with CRM, marketing and analytics platforms ensures compliance with data privacy standards.
• Open source benefits. Transparency, community, and vendor independence through the Apache 2 licence.

WSO2 Identity Server is the ideal choice for organisations looking to balance security, scalability, and cost-effectiveness while delivering an exceptional user experience to users around the world.

• Choreo: a universal platform for transforming into a cloud-based digital business

Choreo is a developer platform that enables you to build cloud applications quickly and efficiently, simplifying everything from design to deployment to management. It streamlines the development process, reduces time to market and encourages innovation.

Key features of Choreo:

1. Designed with security, management, and efficiency in mind:

• Domain-oriented design. Organising the enterprise system into domains with access via APIs, events, and data. 
• Design for application security. The cell-based architecture ensures project manageability at all stages, from development to deployment, with controlled access through APIs and events.

2. Efficient development:

• Multilingual support. Develop applications in the team's preferred programming language by creating APIs, services, events, or tasks.
• Integration with VS Code. Use a multi-functional environment for development and collaboration.
• Connection to Git. Connect to existing GitHub, Bitbucket, or GitLab repositories to integrate code.

3. Easy deployment:

• CI/CD for integration. Automate build and deployment with CI/CD tools.
• Multi-cloud support. Deploy applications to Azure, AWS, GCP or Kubernetes clusters.
• Configuration management. Centralise settings and sensitive data through an easy-to-use interface.

4. Manage APIs, integrations, and microservices:

• Ensure security. Manage data flows and access to sensitive information.
• Automatic scaling. Kubernetes automatically adjusts resources based on load.
• Ensure reliability. Provide visibility and easy management of deployed components.

5. Reuse digital assets:

• Access control. Publish assets to an internal marketplace with role-based access control.
• Transparency and efficiency. Choreo's internal marketplace provides asset management with flexible access settings.

6. Detailed visibility:

• Anomaly detection. Receive alerts and respond to problems immediately.
• Debugging. Quickly pinpoint the cause of errors with detailed logs and timelines.

7. Robust management:

• DORA metrics. Track the effectiveness of DevOps processes and reduce the time it takes to deploy new features.
• Insight for Engineering. Analytics for process improvement and decision-making.
• API analytics. Analyze performance and API usage to eliminate bottlenecks.

Choreo is an all-in-one solution for modern development teams that makes building, deploying and managing cloud applications as easy and efficient as possible.

How WSO2 simplifies integration

Infographics: WSO2

WSO2 provides a powerful set of tools to simplify integration, combining innovative technology with ease of use. Below are some of the key aspects that make WSO2 an effective integration solution:

1. AI-Assisted Development

• WSO2 offers developers a best-in-class AI-powered experience. It makes integration development faster, easier and higher quality by
• Using both low-code and pro-code platforms for flexibility in how you develop.
• Integrated AI Copilot, based on the VS Code editor, to guide and streamline the development process.
• Simplified debugging and testing that reduces the risk of errors.
• Powerful visual data transformation that makes it easy to work with information.
• Pre-built connectors and templates that reduce the time it takes to set up integrations.

2. Solve any integration problem

• WSO2 allows you to perform integrations over any protocol with 100% compatibility with the Enterprise Integration Pattern standard. The solution supports
• API requests to implement real-time integrations (REST, gRPC, GraphQL, etc.).
• Automatic launch of integrations according to a pre-defined schedule.
• Event-based integrations supporting Kafka, AMQP, MQTT, JMS and other protocols.

3. Architecture Prediction

• WSO2 supports a variety of architectural approaches, including distributed microservice architecture and centralised ESB architecture. This allows organisations to choose the integration model that best suits their needs.

4. Deploy in any environment

With WSO2, you can perform integrations in-house or outsource to a provider. Deployment options include

• Running the software on your servers.
• Run integrations in a private cloud with support from WSO2.
• Using SaaS solutions such as Choreo for integration in multi-cloud environments.

5. 100% Open Source

WSO2 provides complete transparency and vendor independence through open-source software. Users get:

• Access to the code without a WSO2 subscription, so you can run it anywhere.
• Full visibility into the code base to ensure product quality and security.
• The ability to extend the product to meet unique business needs.
• Access to the global open source community to encourage innovation and share best practices.

With the WSO2 Enterprise Integrator, companies can create integrations using a user-friendly graphical interface or use code for more complex tasks. This provides a unified approach to building integrations. In addition, all deployments can be tracked and managed from one place, making integration project management easier and more convenient.

Business benefits of using WSO2

Organisations that choose WSO2 enjoy many benefits, including

1. Integrate different systems. WSO2 provides powerful systems integration capabilities, allowing you to combine legacy and new applications. This helps to significantly reduce integration costs and increase business process efficiency.
2. Flexibility and scalability. WSO2 provides solutions that are easily customised and scalable to meet business needs. This allows organisations to adapt to market changes and growth without incurring significant additional costs.
3. Support for microservices architecture. WSO2 enables microservices, which simplifies application development, testing and deployment. This provides greater flexibility and responsiveness to user requirements.
4. Data Security and Access Control. WSO2 provides strong security mechanisms, including API access control, authentication and encryption. This helps to protect sensitive information and meet regulatory standards.
5. Cost-effectiveness. Using WSO2 can reduce overall IT costs because the platform is open source, which reduces licensing costs. It also reduces maintenance costs through integration and automation.
6. High performance. The platform is optimised to deliver the high-performance data flow management that is essential for modern business operations.
7. Community and support. WSO2 has an active community of users and developers that provides access to resources, training and support. This helps to solve problems and implement new features faster.
8. Data Analysis. WSO2 tools enable data analysis and system monitoring, helping organisations make informed decisions based on analysis.

These benefits make WSO2 a powerful tool for organisations looking to streamline IT processes, reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Examples of WSO2 use cases

Financial institutions: secure and fast digital financial services

WSO2 provides banks and financial services companies with powerful integration, access control and API solutions used by over 200 financial institutions in more than 60 countries.

Key benefits:

• Tailored digital services. With access to rich data and integration with fintech services, banks can create personalised customer services and improve the user experience.
• Omni-channel services. The WSO2 platform enables the seamless operation of all service channels, minimising complexity and balancing security with customer convenience.
• Faster time to market. Banks can quickly launch new products and services through in-house development and integration with third-party fintech solutions.
• Simplify Open Banking. WSO2 tools comply with open banking standards, allowing financial institutions to innovate while maintaining high levels of data security and privacy.
• Innovative financial platforms. The creation of financial marketplaces helps to bring developers and innovators together, leveraging the key capabilities of banks to scale innovation.

With WSO2, financial institutions can stay competitive, meet market demands and provide customers with modern and secure financial services.

Healthcare: innovative digital solutions for patients, doctors and healthcare organisations

Choreo provides everything you need to create unique digital healthcare services in a single solution. Through integration with pre-built APIs, CIAM (Customer Access and Identity Management) capabilities, on-premise software and the Choreo platform, developers can quickly deploy modern digital solutions.

Main features:

• Secure data exchange. With out-of-the-box connectors for EHR/EMR systems, healthcare organisations can integrate databases with cloud services to ensure a standardised and secure exchange of clinical information.
• Rapid application development. Pre-built APIs and templates for FHIR accelerate healthcare application development by more than 70%. Data transformation tools for HL7v2, FHIR and CCDA make it easy to connect to other systems.
• Digital privacy. CIAM capabilities provide strong user authentication, multi-factor login and patient consent management based on FHIR standards.

Choreo helps healthcare organisations increase patient and clinician engagement, empower local systems, and create secure, modern digital services for the healthcare industry.

Public sector: modern and secure digital services for citizens and governments

WSO2's integration, access control and API solutions help government organisations in more than 30 countries to modernise processes and improve the efficiency of citizen services.

Key benefits:

• Innovative smart city technologies. Ensure secure data exchange and collaboration between different government agencies.
• Rapid implementation of new policies. Develop and implement new policies and services to meet the ever-changing and growing needs of citizens.
• Improve interaction with citizens. Ensuring easy access to government services helps improve compliance.
• Digitising government services. Developing electronic systems that allow citizens to interact with government online, for example, to vote, file tax returns or access social services.
• Security through digital identity. Secure access management for citizens and public servants provides easy access to public services.
• Modernising legacy systems. Integrating data from legacy systems enables faster creation of new services and upgrading of IT infrastructure.
• Unified citizen portals. Unify services through unified portals that provide access to a wide range of public services from a single location.
• Inter-agency data sharing. Facilitate the sharing of data between different government organisations to improve decision-making, detect fraud and improve service quality.

With WSO2, governments can more quickly adapt to today's challenges and deliver high-quality, accessible digital services to citizens.

Getting started with WSO2 Enterprise Integrator

• Quick Start. Get WSO2 EI up and running in 5 minutes with detailed instructions.
• Development Tools. WSO2 Integration Studio provides all the tools you need to create integration scenarios.
• Demonstration Projects. Access to training materials to quickly master the main features of the platform.

Conclusion

WSO2 is the best choice for organisations looking for a flexible, secure, scalable integration platform. With its rich feature set, open architecture, and support for hybrid integration, WSO2 helps companies adapt to the challenges of the modern business environment, where digital transformation is a key component of success.

If you are looking for an effective solution for integrating cloud and on-premises services, try WSO2 — contact the experts at Integrity Vision.