In the evolving landscape of technology integration platforms, the recent focus on artificial intelligence and data orchestration — termed intelligent integration — is reshaping how companies address internal and customer-facing challenges.

The integration-platform-as-a-service sector, traditionally aimed at simplifying connectivity across various software applications, is now seeing a significant shift toward leveraging AI to enhance automation and data management capabilities. This shift not only promises improved efficiencies, but also ushers in a new era of business intelligence and operational agility.

“Everybody in the IPaaS space is stepping up on API management, but you also see the folks with an app focus stepping up,” said Doug Henschen (pictured), vice president and principal analyst of Constellation Research Inc. “The AI economy is the API economy. That’s why that’s really important.”

Henschen spoke with theCUBE Research executive analyst John Furrier at Boomi World, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed Boomi’s business evolution, including its management changes, partnerships and strategic moves in data management and integration technologies to enhance its platform’s capabilities. (* Disclosure below.)

Strategic acquisitions and visionary leadership

The integration and automation market is currently experiencing dynamic changes, fueled by visionary leadership and strategic acquisitions. Companies are increasingly focusing on expanding their capabilities beyond traditional boundaries, integrating advanced technologies such as AI to stay competitive, according to Henschen. For instance, under the guidance of innovative leaders, some companies are not only enhancing their existing offerings, but are also ambitiously acquiring other firms to broaden their service portfolios.

Boomi CEO Steve Lucas is “definitely raising the profile of the company,” Henschen said. “I thought yesterday’s keynote was really visionary and kind of bold to be saying they might be orchestrating things that you might see from CRM or from marketing automation or firing up dashboards. He’s got some bigger ambitions.”

This approach is not just about growth, but also about adapting to and anticipating future market needs. This includes a stronger integration of AI within core business processes to streamline operations and offer more sophisticated solutions.

Intelligent integration: The role of AI and future trends

As the integration sector evolves, the role of AI is becoming increasingly central, not just in automating routine tasks, but in offering strategic insights and foresights. Companies are now looking at AI not just as a tool for operational efficiency but as a core component of their product offerings, enhancing the intelligence of the systems they deploy, Henschen pointed out. This shift is indicative of the broader trend toward “intelligent integration,” where systems are both interconnected and capable of predictive analytics and proactive management.

“Yesterday’s announcements were very much about AI within Boomi for integration, for automation,” Henschen said. “Today, I think you’re going to hear more about the potential of agents and the orchestration capabilities of Boomi to enable companies to harness AI and to … orchestrate those agents with many different skills to get work done and to take action.”

This emphasis on AI is part of a larger trend where integration platforms are expected to do more than just connect different technologies. They are expected to enhance the capabilities of these technologies through smarter algorithms and more responsive data analytics, Henschen added.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE Research’s coverage of Boomi World:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Boomi World. Neither Boomi LP, the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE