How to select the right
integration solution.

PoC is the first step to integration-based transformation.

Sharing a transformation journey with an organisation that has a clear goal is always thrilling and rewarding.

The University of East Anglia worked hard to shape up and define its vision for 2030. The team was determined to offer their students the best facilities and a top-class learning experience. It became clear that without information sharing, streamlining internal processes and building partnerships, the university won't be able to satisfy the new demands.

While assessing the internal IT strategy, UEA discovered that many outdated business processes had to be automated and digitised. A strategic integration platform was required in order to:

• create a decoupled architecture where components work independently without direct communication,

• enable high re-use of integration components to speed up subsequent projects,

• enable agility and speed of delivery to demonstrate the results and value fast,

• provide a solid and secure framework for integrations,

• provide a scalable platform.

Universities must meet growing demands for innovative digital learning experiences.

How we made it work

Two integration technologies were shortlisted as transformation enablers - MuleSoft and Microsoft Azure. The IT team defined a use case that both technologies could be tested against. Our MuleSoft experts were invited to build a Proof of Concept (PoC) on MuleSoft's Anypoint Platform.

Let us look at the PoC and its success criteria. The PoC was based on the data exchange between internally used systems - the student record system and the identity management system.

Our MuleSoft experts used this opportunity to demonstrate the MuleSoft integration platform's capabilities:

• How to create reusable APIs from the existing legacy interfaces;

• How to deliver a secure and efficient mechanism for exchanging data between two systems;

• How to provide a unified management interface for integrations that enables proactive monitoring and reporting.

Both PoCs were judged based on the following success criteria:

• The effort to maintain connections between systems;

• Ease of use for non-tech team members to support and maintain the connections;

• Ability to re-use the created assets;

• Ability to provide flat-file data format transfer between the systems;

• The trial cost.

Momentum gained

MuleSoft has won the competition with flying colours! Furthermore, the effective collaboration between the two teams, UEA and Infomentum, demonstrated how well we could work together in the future. Infomentum received excellent feedback and praise for its support during the project. Embedding the university's specialists within our IT team enabled UEA to assess the Anypoint platform, apply the API-led connectivity principles and learn from our MuleSoft experts.

What is next? Empowered by the results of the PoC, the University of East Anglia is confident that an IPaaS solution such as MuleSoft will be a key enabler of its digital transformation. UEA is planning to proceed with implementing its integration program while closely working with a partner like Infomentum to support and accelerate its delivery.