Author
August 9 2023
Are your professional developers spending too much time writing tedious code to support your MuleSoft implementation? Are you frustrated that precious bandwidth is being diverted to training and certification just so your team can use the integration technology that was meant to serve them?
Well, get in line. If your company relies on MuleSoft to support your integration strategy, the wait could be long (and expensive).
When legacy technology lets you down, important innovation goals remain ambitious as your integration team is overwhelmed with routine, time-consuming tasks. It certainly doesn’t help that only a subset of your resource base is MuleSoft certified and capable of doing the work.
To decide whether your organization is better suited to try another approach, here is a starting list of considerations to evaluate:
- Available resources
- Technical skills and capabilities of your existing team
- Total economic impact and return on investment (ROI) of the project
- Time required for each integration step (build, run, monitor)
When you’re ready to review your technology options, one of the first questions you’ll encounter is whether you need a professional code or low-code solution. But what if you didn’t have to choose?
>> Book a personalized demo with our team of experts and see how Digibee’s iPaaS will bring efficiency to your business.
Pro-Code vs. Low-Code
Both terms are well established, but the perceived meaning of each is likely to vary from person to person, as they have been widely applied. Let's start with a level playing field in the basic definitions. According to people in trio, see how these methodologies align:
- Pro code – A more conventional approach to software development, with professional developers controlling all aspects of the work, including coding, testing, optimization, and deployment – from start to finish.
- Low-code – A simpler and more accessible approach to software development that leverages existing infrastructure through a development platform. Developers use a drag-and-drop methodology to set up the required application or web page. Low-code is more accessible, often used by less experienced people to accomplish simple tasks.
Now let's look at the coding methodology based on the integration model:
| Internal (pro code) | Conventional iPaaS (pro code) | Modern iPaaS (pro and low-code) |
|---|---|---|
| – Internally created integrations – Qualified pro code developers | – Integrations created by MuleSoft – Qualified and certified pro code developers | – Integrations created by the development team within Digibee iPaaS – Junior, intermediate and senior software engineers |
Digibee simplifies the complexity of coding by enabling developers and software engineers of all types to use the platform so that every member of their development team can contribute. Our low-code interface amplifies the software engineering skills of all workers for greater productivity across the team.
Junior developers help with the heavy lifting, while senior developers focus on higher-priority projects, including writing code as needed. This frees up all team members to focus more on strategic innovation and building—as integration is no longer a bottleneck. With manual coding optional and only required for higher-value projects, the team is more productive and able to deliver a much higher ROI.
Read the e-book: 5 (+1) Reasons MuleSoft Customers Should Choose a Modern Integration Solution para saber corn.
Let's dive deeper into each integration model.
Internal (pro code)
In-house software developers and engineers often take pride in creating homegrown IT solutions and are often eager to tackle a large project like a multi-faceted integration. It’s no surprise, then, that many companies choose to build and maintain their own integrations.
However, this approach creates some serious risks and challenges:
- The system increases in complexity as additional point-to-point integrations are created, requiring more time and resources to maintain, detracting from higher-value work
- Only a subset of developers have the domain knowledge to understand the inner workings of the system, putting the company at greater risk each time someone leaves, while also reducing the feature set.
- Continually increasing scope as developers and engineers build each integration from scratch with increasing levels of complexity
These systems work well initially, providing low upfront costs with the integration team fully under control. But over time, the platform becomes cumbersome and time-consuming as connectors and related code maintenance grow and applications evolve. Instead of supporting innovation, internal systems end up impeding it.
Read the use case: A Business Integration Showdown: DIY vs. Digibee para saber corn.
Conventional iPaaS (pro-code)
While you may have thought that moving to an iPaaS model with an established provider like MuleSoft was the quickest and easiest path to supporting your integration strategy, the MuleSoft platform presents users with some glaring shortcomings.
Conventional iPaaS products rely on professional code developers to carry the load. Months-long implementation and specialized MuleSoft certification requirements cripple your integration strategy, while your IT portfolio continues to grow out of control.
- Overly complex technology extends implementation time to months and even years
- Pro-code developers must do the work, limiting the resources available to the most experienced (and properly certified) people.
- Maintenance, EOL and other time-consuming work takes precedence over innovation pathways, resulting in ever-growing IT backlog
Modern iPaaS (pro and low-code)
Every software developer writes code – it’s usually their happy place – so why not provide your team with an integration model that offers the best of both worlds?
Digibee doesn’t take the creativity out of integration; it simply makes it quicker and easier for developers to interact with different interface components. Our low-code drag-and-drop canvas eliminates complexity and much of the coding typically required. Enterprise integrations no longer require a ton of specialized coding, freeing up software engineers and developers to solve problems and innovate.
3 Integration Models: Pros and Cons
| Integration Solution | Internal (Pro-Code) | Conventional iPaaS (Pro-Code) | Digibee Modern iPaaS (Pro and Low-Code) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resources | Highly skilled software engineers and developers | Highly skilled software engineers and developers with specialized training and certification | Developers at all levels |
| Cost | – Higher cost to retain in-house domain experts – Lengthy implementation process Ongoing maintenance and management costs | – Complex licensing and pricing – High cost of time-consuming implementation – Continuous investment in training and certification – Higher cost per hire for MuleSoft certified developers – Ongoing system maintenance and management – Customer support | – Simple and complete pricing model (3 SKUs!) – Training, support and maintenance included in the subscription – All developers are empowered to do the work |
| Time to appreciate | – Months to years – Long implementation time to build from scratch using in-house resources | – Months to years – Long implementation due to complex product – Certification requirements limit the resource pool | – Days to weeks – Short implementation with everyone involved |
| Scalability | Limited by the complexity and increasing skills of the in-house IT team | – Unlimited scalability with no additional, ongoing costs. | Unlimited scalability with minimal additional costs. |
| Risks | – Single point of failure – Domain knowledge lost when key employees leave | – Increased costs and dependencies as different components require upgrades, EOL, and maintenance | Flexible, the platform supports a composable infrastructure to increase agility and reduce risk |
The Digibee Difference: Low-Code for Pro-Coders
Digibee has everything covered for a fast and smooth implementation. Our cloud-native, enterprise-ready integration platform accelerates time to value, mitigates risk, helps reduce IT costs, and provides an interactive technology that easily supports a wide range of IT talent.
Discover all the benefits of Digibee’s modern cloud integration platform, including detailed comparisons between MuleSoft’s traditional model and Digibee’s iPaaS. Read the eBook: 5 (+1) reasons why MuleSoft customers should choose a modern integration solution.
For more information, read Digibee Customer Success Stories or contact Digibee to schedule a demo.
