Being integration specialists, we hear a lot of myths around low-code integration platforms and their suitability for serious business use. Like many myths, however, these low-code myths don’t hold up on investigation. In this blog, we examine four prevalent myths and show why they don’t hold water in the enlightened year of 2022.
Before we get into the myths, we need to create a working definition of low code integration. Integration platforms can be put into three categories: code-based, low-code and no-code. Code-based platforms take the traditional approach to integration, requiring specialist developers and tooling but full flexibility with low-level coding. No Code platforms take the opposite approach, with browser-based visual tooling allowing anyone to participate but a limited featureset. Low-code takes the happy medium between these approaches, taking the modern browser-based approach from No Code and providing extensibility points to allow developers to meet all requirements.
Hallmarks of a low-code solution are:
- Visual integration toolset
- Drag and drop connectors and logic constructs
- Pre-made application connectors
- Simple deployment
- Extensibility points for complex requirements
Myth 1: Low-code equals low quality
Our first myth is “low-code equals low quality”. Ask anyone who has used a low-code platform, and they will tell you this couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, using a low-code approach eliminates entire categories of defect – after all, the code you don’t write has the least bugs! By freeing developers from repetitive plumbing code, they can spend more time on business logic, reducing defects. Surveys have shown that users of low-code platforms overwhelmingly find less technical debt than traditional code-first platforms.
Myth 2: Low-code is just a toy
The implication that the only way to deliver an enterprise solution is to suffer and code the whole thing manually. People repeating this are simply out of touch with the reality of modern low-code platforms. All enterprise integration architectures are supported, from API-led to event-driven and everything in between. Having led teams who have successfully delivered enterprise-scale low-code integration solutions for Adaptiv, I speak from experience when I say that enterprise integration doesn’t have to be painful.
Myth 3: Low-code isn’t flexible
Thirdly, we have the myth that “low-code isn’t flexible”. Possibly arising through confusion with the more constrained ‘No-Code’ platforms, this myth is definitely not applicable to low-code. The capability of modern low-code platforms is such that most scenarios can be handled without needing to go out of the box. Functionality such as rich transformation and flow logic, combined with the ability to call APIs, raise events and interact with external systems, ensures that almost all flows can be implemented within the platform. Furthermore, for exceptional scenarios, extensibility points exist to allow the execution of custom scripts or to reference external libraries, allowing custom code to be crafted for any scenario.
Myth 4: Low-code doesn’t perform at scale
Our final myth is that “low-code doesn’t perform at scale”. Over the last decade, this myth has been well and truly put out to pasture, with global industry leaders such as AT&T, Cisco, and LinkedIn relying on low-code solutions for their business-critical integrations. If low-code can handle the performance and volume requirements of these Fortune 500 companies, there is no question about its ability to perform at scale.
Modern low-code platforms can cater to everything from a simple cloud integration to a full enterprise integration platform. They can deliver faster, better solutions and allow you to work at the speed of business.
Still not convinced low-code could be right for your business? Talk with us.
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