Beyond eCommerce: Why ISVs and VARs need Next Generation Integrations

PORTLAND, Ore. - Aug. 13, 2013 - PRLog -- It has become a fact of business today that once a merchant moves out of the mom-and-pop or garage phase, she will need to implement a myriad of solutions.  ERPs, POSs, CRMs, payment systems, web carts, sales order management, shipping/tracking, logistics, requisitions, loyalty, automated marketing, and many more software solutions  are the tools required to manage and sustain growth in today’s market.  However, these are mostly disparate systems.  An ISV with the perfect solution for one problem might not be able to integrate with a clients existing system, resulting in one more lost sale.  VARs have too many stories of the sale that almost was because the client had already spent a lot of time and money on other systems, and was not willing to start over.

 

    Static and rigid integrations have been the only solution.  In developing or purchasing an integration which connect a specific ERP to some other specific software, the disparity can be resolved. However, these are mostly one-of-a-kind solutions that are costly and do not allow the client to change systems without starting from scratch.  ISVs and VARs partnered with integration solutions providers often find their market limited to the systems the integrator has figured out.  Next generation, true dynamic integration (TDI)  allows integration of any systems with a SOAP or REST open API.  TDI allows the business to swap out solutions as its needs change.  TDI also gives ISVs and VARs more opportunities to sell their products to previously unreachable markets.  

 

Omni-channel sales that include web, mobile, sales force, and POS are needed to propel growth.  Static integrations are simply not able to allow for choice and flexibility without reinventing the wheel, again.  The cost of integration often is the reason that ISVs and VARs find their products priced out of the market.  The time, money, and uncertainty associated with most integrations is often the reason businesses stick with the less than ideal systems they have already invested in, making it difficult for ISVs and VARs to offer new solutions.  Less robust systems can often be implemented quickly and with less cost, but prove to be costly in the long run as the business grows.  

 

Most of the talk in the integration world has been focused on eCommerce.  Merchants are demanding solutions that integrate multiple sales channels with back of house systems.  However, most integrations lock merchants into systems that limit growth, or require redeveloping the integration if any part of either system changes.  All-in-one systems are very attractive to start-up as they integrate many different functions and tend to have lower up front cost than using disparate systems.  The trade off is in the ability to scale and chose the solution that best fits the needs of the business.  All-in-one tends to result in a one-size-fits all solution, making change and customization uncertain and costly at the back end.  

 

Next generation, true dynamic integration, gives businesses the flexibility to scale and chose the most popular and robust systems best suited to their needs.  When systems are changed, only the connection to integration is affected, the rest of the chain is left intact.  Furthermore, CRM, automated marketing, sales force management, procurement, requisition and many other systems can be integrated into one central system, with the same solution.  

 

ISVs and VARs can only benefit from partnering with next generation integration providers.  New sales to existing clients or attracting new clients will not longer be limited by the systems that are currently in use.  Clients will not have to feel the sting of abandoning systems that they have invested time and money into perfecting, but instead can focus their resources on working with ISVs and VARs to obtain the products that will grow their business and give them a competitive edge.

Kosmos Central is the leader in next generation integration software.  Our integration solution, eSync, is entirely cloud based and designed to offer flexibility, scalability and control,  to any size business  eSync does not store data on a separate database.  It can update and exchange information between multiple disparate systems in near real time, offering true omni-channel sales, while integrating with the most powerful business tools.  eSync provides seamless true dynamic integration among systems with a SOAP or REST open API.

 

Written by: Keith J. Andreys

Kosmos Central

www.kosmoscentral.com

503-977-0171

 

The Author:  Keith is a JD/MBA candidate from Willamette University He has been researching current trends and applications of data integrations and how they affect real world business decisions of ISVs, VARs, and end users.