Unveiling the Future of Microsoft Integration: Insights from Integrate 2024

Azure Integration Services Adoption is Real!

Microsoft opened the conference with a strong message to emphasize the potential impact of an Azure iPaaS implementation:

The flexible platform, consisting out of multiple Azure components, enables the creation of tailored solutions for unique requirements. With nearly 800 connectors, the possibilities are endless. Microsoft shared that it invests a tremendous amount of money annually in security, to make sure the platform is secure and compliant. The key takeaway was the return on investment for AIS is approximately 300%, based on a report by Forrester.

“BizTalk Migration is gaining a momentum”

Thanks to more and more capabilities being added to Logic Apps, Microsoft says there is a real peak in the BizTalk Migration projects that are being started by its customers. During the conference we got the chance to get an overview of the latest additions and the upcoming preview functionality, to make these kinds of migrations possible:

Hybrid Deployment

When talking to our customers in manufacturing we often get the question how to tackle the on-premise footprint requirement.  These kind of customers require their integrations to run independently from cloud/internet connectivity. Microsoft finally has an answer to that. During the conference the preview of the Hybrid Deployment Model for Logic Apps was presented. This new capability will allow you to deploy Logic Apps on any Azure Arc Enabled Kubernetes Cluster. This will allow you to deploy the same integrations on-premise and/or in any cloud.

Improved Developer Productivity

Microsoft is investing a lot in making the Azure Integration Services experience as smooth as possible. During the conference we saw the announcement of inline code support and a new (integration) testing framework for Logic Apps with a plugin for Visual Studio Code. To speed up the development of new integration workflows, Microsoft is also working on a new functionality to work with integration Templates. Those templates can be shared with the community or made private for your enterprise.

Innovate where you Integrate (with AI)

Logic Apps is all about its rich connector’s ecosystem. A new set of connectors is added to the platform for integrating with Azure Open AI and AI Search. This will allow any organization to unlock new AI-Infused application thanks to the low-code advantages of Logic Apps, by extending existing integration flows.

E2E Business Monitoring/Tracking

When connecting disparate systems, it is always a big challenge to keep track of business processes spanning multiple steps. Microsoft tries to solve this problem by adding an integrated Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) solution to the platform. 

Integration Environment is a new concept introduced to group all related Azure services from a business perspective. Together with the Business Process Tracking, which allows you to design all the monitoring steps of the process, we now have a unified experience that groups technical and functional monitoring.

Rules Engine 

One of the long missing capabilities of Logic Apps was a Rules Engine. This is now finally announced, and it will allow us to build better low-code integration implementations (without hardcoded logic) and brings us a step closer to fluently migrate existing BizTalk Server Integration solutions.

Conclusion 

The migration experience from BizTalk Server to Azure Integration Services (AIS) is improving, and we are embracing the new capabilities presented by Microsoft at Integrate 2024. However, in practice, we are still encountering some challenges that cannot be addressed with these standard components provided by Azure. It is essential to select a partner that can guide you through these challenges and ensure a successful implementation.

Want to know more about our Integration Services solutions or are you planning a BizTalk Migration? Contact us.