Basically, an IT platform is comprised of software and hardware. Its central component is an operating system (OS), which coordinates programs, processors, and microprocessors. It helps enterprises communicate effectively with each other and optimize business operations. Here are the characteristics of an enterprise platform: Price, Extensibility, Integration, Connectivity, and Security.
Cost
A platform is a system that allows a company to orchestrate its ecosystem and better serve employees and customers. This type of system is more complex than a standalone application, requiring more investment to maintain and evolve. These platforms are an essential part of a company’s operation, and require constant investment to grow and evolve.
Enterprise platforms can range in price from $15k to $500k, depending on the complexity of the system and the design requirements. They also cost a lot to implement, since they require careful planning and buy-in across the organization. Because of these costs, the upfront costs of an enterprise platform are often higher than that of a point solution.
Consider a regional food distributor that wants to equip its trucks with a fleet management system. It needs a platform that is capable of managing data from a wide range of IoT devices, handle data from medium-powered telemetry gateways, and support multiple IoT applications running on 2,000 trucks. If the regional food distributor builds its own AEP, the total cost of the solution will be USD 2.67 million. However, if the enterprise buys AEP services, the cost is less than half that amount.
Extensibility
Extensibility is a key aspect of a good enterprise platform. This quality enables users to build custom applications and add-ons. These extensions are often implemented through REST APIs and connectors. These allow developers to share data and information between different software applications. These features can be saved and reused in future projects. Extensible platforms can allow a business to add new features quickly and easily.
Extensible enterprise systems are better suited to changing business needs. With the right enterprise platform, you can accommodate new data types and business models without having to change any of the system’s existing functionality. Extensible systems also make it easier to share data with other business-critical systems, enhancing collaboration and transparency.
Extensibility is also important for organizations that want to add new capabilities. Many products are designed with extensibility in mind. Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are examples of extensible platforms. By using the same APIs, developers can add new features without having to make any changes to the core product.
Integration
Enterprises today face the growing challenge of integrating various technologies to meet changing customer demands. Big data, IoT, and APIs are becoming more important for a business’s success, and an enterprise integration platform can help you connect these disparate technologies. By enabling a seamless data transfer and real-time analytics, an enterprise integration platform helps you maximize the value of your data.
Enterprise integration platforms help organizations modernize their digital ecosystem to increase data control, reduce risk and enhance performance. These platforms enable a company to connect diverse applications and operating systems. They are especially useful for companies that are using legacy technologies that don’t deliver the agility necessary to remain competitive in a world of change.
An integration platform offers a comprehensive integration experience across on-premises and cloud-based applications. It can also integrate data from a variety of sources including databases, big data streams, and data warehouses. Business users and IT professionals can easily and quickly build data pipelines by utilizing a visual design tool and a proprietary AI algorithm called Iris. This powerful feature supports complex transformations, conditional operations, triggers, and parameterization.
Connectivity
The enterprise landscape has changed from a traditional focus on data centers to cloud-based SaaS applications that require connectivity between data sources. Connectivity is also crucial for enterprise systems that need to integrate with external services and applications. This has always been a challenge for enterprises, but the complexity of this process is growing.
Connectivity management platforms connect devices to the network and ensure reliable data flow. They can also reduce the workload associated with IoT deployments. They also provide a robust layer of security and protection against cyber threats. To get the most out of your connectivity management platform, look for a combination of powerful tools.
In addition to connecting data to systems, a multi-enterprise platform can also provide real-time communication between different processes. This allows all parties to operate on a single connection and share information in real time. This helps retailers to respond to issues, from inclement weather to quality assurance issues, quickly and accurately.