An introduction to the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform and its key benefits
One of the most Googled questions of late relating to the CRM ecosystem is, amusingly, ‘what does Mulesoft actually do?’. And it’s a good question! Mulesoft is a ‘middleware’ tool, a type of software that acts as an intermediary layer between different applications. Therefore, it is a little more challenging to visualise the unique benefits of the MuleSoft anypoint platform.
We spoke to one of our experts to understand exactly what MuleSoft offers customers.
So, what actually is MuleSoft?
‘MuleSoft is a software, known as middleware, that acts as an intermediary between different apps, systems, or components to facilitate communication, data exchange, and integration. [It] plays a crucial role in connecting disparate technologies and enabling them to work together seamlessly.’
And what would you define as ‘middleware’?
‘Middleware provides a standardised way for diverse software components to communicate, share data, and perform coordinated tasks… [It] can be applied in various scenarios, such as integrating applications, managing communication between systems that use different languages, and supporting the development of complex software solutions.
In summary, middleware enhances interoperability and efficiencies by bridging the multitude of applications, tools, platforms, and systems used by an organisation.’
Why is it important for different applications in a business to ‘talk’ to each other?
‘For example, imagine if your customer data is stored in a third-party marketing automation tool, your customer service database and your website chatbot. A customer might have an issue with a faulty product, and use the chatbot to address this. They may then receive emails advertising said product, and become irritated that their experience is not personalised. They might speak to a service agent to complain, and the agent may not even be aware that this is an issue as the marketing team owns the chatbot feed, causing further frustration for the customer and the team!’
‘As systems can speak many different languages, if they are not integrated, your customer becomes dissatisfied due to a lack of accuracy and personalisation, and your teams become frustrated due poor communication and siloed data.’
What are the benefits?
‘I think the main benefit that MuleSoft provides is time. In my experience, IT teams are inundated with day-to-day challenges and requests, so lack the time to make improvements or innovate. Otherwise, I would say that the core benefits are:
- Seamless integration
- Uninterrupted connectivity
- Scalability
- Customer satisfaction
- Low-risk deployment’
Could you provide a use case example?
‘Sure. A common example is a mid-large business that has gone through a period of sustained growth. They might have up to fifty different tools for various processes such as project management, DevOps, training, marketing, compliance, customer service, etc. These tools are brimming with various data sets about employees, finance, opportunities, processes and customers. As the company grows, it adds more and more platforms and the data becomes siloed, disconnected. Not only can this affect employees in the way I explained previously, but it means the IT team are inundated with requests for support, information, new integrations and enhancements to accommodate new systems.’
‘MuleSoft provides the functionality for IT to quickly integrate software and convey each ‘language’ so that data is accurate and visible across all platforms utilised by the business. This ultimately saves time and improves the experience for all stakeholders.’
What type of businesses does it serve?
‘Mulesoft can serve any business, in any industry, but we definitely recommend the platform to growing organisations, or those who have recently experienced growth surges, to create a single source of truth and prevent duplication, errors and silos in data.’
In summary, MuleSoft offers users a straightforward suite of user-friendly tools and standard APIs, connectors, and pre-built templates which equip teams with the mechanisms they need to orchestrate seamless data transfer and holistic visibility across an organisation and provide a 360-degree view of each customer.
To learn more about how Mulesoft can support organisations looking to scale seamlessly, give us a call on 0117 230 2390 or email us at hello@performa-it.co.uk. Take a look at our article ‘How Mulesoft Works’, for a more detailed overview of the MuleSoft functionality!