Updated on by Fraser Davidson
Picks and Shovels
Getting it out of the way first, AI is awesome. When there is a problem, or a need, that benefits from an AI resolution then it is transformational. My personal favourite is the AI facilitated chat in Duolingo – or the image gen capabilities of ChatGPT (and others).
However I don’t believe that Embedded iPaaS vendors should adopt AI within their own product.
Embedded iPaaS the Facilitators
Instead I believe that Embedded iPaaS applications should be facilitators. Data orchestration hubs that enable, and secure, AI (and other of course) data connectivity and access. Embedded iPaaS absolutely should enable the data flows into, through, and out of AI applications – facilitating secure receipt and delivery of information and content in a multi-tenanted architecture.
In short, the role that Embedded iPaaS has always played since its inception.
Whereas in the past I would have termed Embedded iPaaS to be the utility company (pipes) for SaaS applications. In the context of the early furore of the AI world it is perhaps better termed as the picks and shovels of the goldrush. This is a great place for us to be.
Why no AI in an Embedded iPaaS?
Frankly because, if the Embedded iPaaS is well enough designed, the ‘need’ isn’t there.
Embedded iPaaS platforms are specification engines, targeted at a data literate and semi-technical to technical audiences. An audience that builds complex integration flows in a guided step by step format – where they have absolute certainty of what is being created.
In all the years of building Cyclr I have realized that abstraction is great – but our ICP actually wants more detail and more control. Our roadmap reflects this. Introducing AI to abstract this process further would be dissonant with our understanding of our ICP.
In every roadmap meeting we assess whether we are wrong. But each assessment has so far shown that AI is not needed inside our Embedded iPaaS. There is no clear problem that AI resolves from within.
Now if we were an iPaaS for non-technical users (e.g. Zapier, IFTTT) then my stance would be different. In these iPaaS platforms the integrations tend to be simpler and the ICP tends to be less technical and in need of more assistance. Here AI has a clear and distinct purpose and a problem/need it is resolving.
So as an Embedded iPaaS vendor we are very happy being the picks and shovels of the AI gold rush.
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