ONEiO's State of Integration Solutions 2025 report shows that organizations now manage over 100 SaaS applications. Bigger enterprises can handle even 250-500+ different applications.

All these software create integration problems that could drain your resources and slow your operations.

This is where software integration services could help your company.

In this article, we will cover what you need to know about software integration services.

What is a software integration service?

A software integration service connects your different software apps, lets them share data, and work together. 

Here are the main benefits of software integration services:

• They cut out manual data transfer between systems. 
• They handle tasks automatically across platforms. 
• They keep data flowing smoothly throughout your company. 
• The service handles the technical work through APIs, middleware, or custom connections. 

All this combined makes your software ecosystem work as one system.

What are the key aspects of software integration services?

Software integration services focus on 5 core aspects in connecting your systems:

1. Data synchronization

Software integration services keep your data consistent across all connected systems. When you update customer information in one application, it automatically appears in all related platforms without manual intervention.

2. Workflow automation

Software integration services automate business processes that span multiple software applications. With these services, you can trigger actions in one system based on events in another, creating seamless workflows.

3. Real-time connectivity

Software integration services allow instant data exchange between your applications. Updates happen immediately, ensuring everyone works with current information across your entire organization.

4. Security management

Integration services protect your data during transfer between systems. They use encryption, authentication, and access controls to maintain security standards across all connected applications.

5. Error handling

Software integration services detect and resolve data transfer issues automatically. They prevent system failures and ensure reliable operation even when individual applications have problems.

What are the benefits of software integration services?

Here are some benefits of software integration services: 

• Increased productivity: Removes manual data entry and reduces time spent on repetitive tasks
• Improved accuracy: Software integration services reduce human errors from manual data transfer between systems
• Better visibility: Provides a complete view of operations across all your connected applications
• Faster decision-making: You have real-time access to information from multiple sources
• Cost savings: You can reduce operational costs and duplicate data entry work
• Better collaboration: With software integration, your team accesses consistent data regardless of which system they use
• Scalable growth: You can add new software without disrupting existing connections

What are the types of software integration services?

Here are some types of software integrations: 

• API integration: Connects applications through programming interfaces for direct communication
• Database integration: Links databases to share information at the data level
• Cloud integration: Connects cloud-based applications with on-premises systems
• Enterprise integration: Links large business systems like ERP, CRM, and HRM platforms
• Real-time integration: It allows your instant data exchange between connected applications
• Batch integration: Processes data transfers at scheduled intervals for non-urgent updates

What are some examples of software integration services?

Here are some examples of software integration services: 

• CRM to email marketing platform: You can automatically sync customer data for targeted campaigns
• HR system to payroll software: You transfer employee information for accurate salary processing
• E-commerce to inventory management: This lets you update stock levels when customers place orders
• Help desk to customer database: You can pull customer history for better support experiences
• Accounting to bank systems: You can reconcile transactions and update financial records automatically
• Project management to time tracking: Sync project data with employee timesheets

Typical challenges with software integration services

Here are some typical challenges with software integration services: 

• Hard technical needs: Software integration projects often have difficult specs that need special skills and lots of planning.
• Cost overruns and delays: Software integration projects often cost more than planned. This happens due to unexpected problems and scope changes.
• Ongoing upkeep work: Connected systems need constant oversight, updates, and fixing problems. This strains your IT resources.
• Provider reliance risks: Depending on outside providers creates problems. This happens when consultants leave your project, or you need urgent changes to current connections.

How do software integration services work?

Software integration services follow a structured approach that makes the complex process manageable for your organization. Here's how it typically works.

1. Analysis

First, providers take time to analyze your current software setup. They need to understand what systems you're already using and how they currently work together (or don't work together).

2. Integration strategy

Next, they create integration strategies tailored to your specific needs. They design solutions that fit your business requirements and technical environment.

3. Building phase

Then comes the actual building phase, where they create the necessary connections between your systems. This involves the technical work of making your applications talk to each other.

4. Support

Finally, they provide ongoing support to ensure reliable data flow between your systems. Because let's face it: technology changes, and your integrations need someone keeping an eye on them to prevent issues before they impact your business.

The old way of software integration services

Traditional software integration followed a project-based model that treated each connection as a custom engineering challenge.

Companies would hire consultants for lengthy projects involving:

• Requirements analysis: Extensive discovery of existing systems and business needs
• Custom development: Building unique connections for specific software combinations
• Testing phases: Validating integrations before moving to production environments
• Documentation: Creating technical guides and user manuals
• Knowledge transfer: Training internal teams to maintain the integrations

This approach works if your company has a small number of software systems and changes happen slowly. 

It is also effective for integration projects that are major investments planned years in advance.

The problem with the old way of software integration services

Traditional software integration approaches create ongoing challenges that can hurt your business performance. Some problems are: 

• Unpredictable costs from scope changes and emergency maintenance needs
• Extended timelines that delay benefits and disrupt operations
• Technical debt from custom solutions requiring specialized maintenance
• Knowledge gaps when consultants leave projects incomplete

The new way of software integration: Integration Ops

Integration Ops treats software integration as a continuous operational capability rather than isolated project implementations.

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Benefits of integration ops:

• Fixed costs: Monthly subscriptions replace unexpected project costs and emergency maintenance fees that hurt your budget.
• Faster results: Software integration services go live in days or weeks instead of months. You get quick access to important business features.
• Automatic changes: Your software integrations adapt automatically when vendors change data formats, APIs, or login methods. This cuts out costly downtime.
• Less management work: Your technical teams focus on strategic work instead of fixing integration problems and troubleshooting connection failures.
• Scalable growth architecture: Adding new software or customers doesn't require rebuilding the integration setup. This lets your business grow fast without limits.

Integration Ops is the next step in ITSM. ONEiO leads this change. We ensure your integration operations are future-ready, automated, and scalable.

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Why ONEiO is the ideal software integration partner for IT service management

ONEiO provides Integration Ops as a complete managed service. We designed it specifically for IT and technology service providers. Traditional integration providers create custom solutions and leave. ONEiO is different. We manage your software integrations as an ongoing service.

With ONEiO Integration Ops, you get:

• Complete lifecycle automation: ONEAI® ensures your software integrations adapt to changes without manual work. This cuts out bottlenecks that slow service delivery.
• Simple management: You manage integrations easily without technical complexity. This enables faster responses to business needs and operational changes.
• Growth-ready scaling: Your integration operations scale automatically as your business grows. This removes technical barriers from expansion plans and new software adoption.
• Cost predictability: You receive fixed subscription pricing. This replaces unpredictable project costs and lengthy setups that strain budgets.

ONEiO Case Study Example: CGI

In this case study, we will show you how ONEiO supported one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world.

A brief description of CGI, including its geographical area of activity, headcount, and annual recurring revenue.

ONEiO provides a 360 solution for CGI’s integration needs. Whether a new customer is onboarded or existing integrations are developed further, the CGI experts have the know-how and toolset for building integrations to different API endpoints. 

Depending on the need, the clients either use their service management platform or CGI’s MSP ServiceNow to report issues, receive assistance, or acquire goods. 

Data required in each process flows seamlessly from one system to another, facilitating automation.

The process and CMDB data are integrated between the client and CGI platforms easily and in a standardized way. 

Integration endpoints can be set up within minutes and ready rule blocks can be reutilized when required. 

If the client flows need to be customized, integration flows can be configured rapidly with ONEiO.

CGI’s experts are trained continuously on the latest ONEiO features and best practices. ONEiO also provides support to gain the full benefit of integration features.

CGI’s success case thanks to ONEiO

Fingrid Datahub is one of the most important MSP ServiceNow clients of CGI, which provides datahub application support. 

When the Finnish electricity market actors have questions, development ideas, or issues concerning the datahub, the communication needs to be seamless and transparent between Fingrid Datahub operational teams, CGI, and other vendors.

That is why CGI developed integration flows between a CGI MSP environment and other vendor systems to route and share data related to IT service management and customer service operations. 

To enable the integration flows, CGI uses ONEiO as the single point of integration interface.

As the business requires full visibility into each process, CGI also developed a reporting solution for its MSP environment. The utilized data is gathered from the integration flows.

The bottom line on software integration services

You still need software integration services to connect modern business apps and help operations run well. 

But old project methods and DIY iPaaS tools don't work for today's business needs. You need speed, predictable costs, and continuous adaptation.

You need managed integration services that provide ongoing support, automatic maintenance, and growth capabilities. 

Integration Ops shows the future of software integration. It treats connections as operational capabilities rather than one-time technical projects.

Discover how ONEiO's Integration Ops approach can speed up your service delivery and reduce operational complexity. Your customers and your team will thank you

Discover how ONEiO's Integration Ops approach can accelerate your service delivery and reduce operational complexity. Your customers—and your team—will thank you.

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