Finding the Right Integration Partner, Part III: Containerization

The importance of engaging the right B2B integration partner cannot be understated. Oftentimes, it’s a make or break decision for any organization looking for guidance with their integration. You need one that takes the time to thoroughly understand your business’ strengths and pain points–and one that builds a plan with your business goals in mind. The wrong decision can lead to wasted dollars and missed project deadlines.

In our last blog post, we discussed how we approach requirement gathering and what you should be looking for when it comes to a best-in-class partner.

For this installment, we’ll explore the considerations when implementing containerization and automation, challenges to be aware of, and how our experts can facilitate a smooth transition.

As businesses increasingly turn to containerization and automation to optimize their operations, those advancements bring a host of new challenges that need to be accounted for. Let’s dive into the intricacies of container security and explore strategies to protect your containerized operations.

Safeguarding your containerized world

Containerization introduces an added layer of security complexity and the orchestrator technologies that manage those containers must be meticulously secured. As a result, implementing security best practices across your cloud infrastructure becomes imperative. Those secure practices must extend to both your container security and the management of container orchestrators such as Kubernetes and OpenShift. 

According to StackRox, 94% of organizations regard container security as a paramount issue in their container adoption strategy.


Leveraging the power of containers

Containers offer numerous efficiency advantages including flexible scaling, allowance for resource optimization, and dynamic deployment. This can empower you to shift focus from preparing for deployments to maximizing availability and resiliency. The automation of container management streamlines these functions, reducing the need for manual intervention. According to Docker, containerization can result in a remarkable 50% reduction in infrastructure costs. Moreover, it accelerates application deployment by up to 30%. 

Understanding the new normal

Making the transition to containers often necessitates a shift in licensing models. Traditional models like PVU (Processor Value Unit) are replaced with cloud-based models, including vCPU and cloud consumption metrics such as storage and memory/CPU allocation. As a result, you’re more likely to face challenges related to licensing and compliance, further emphasizing the need for meticulous planning and cost analysis when making the transition from on-premises to containerized deployment models.

Gartner predicts that by 2024, more than 85% of new packaged applications will be available only on a containerized platform.

Keeping pace with change

Container orchestration technologies like OpenShift, Kubernetes, and Docker are in a state of constant evolution. While they simplify deployments, staying current with the rapid pace of technological change can be challenging due to the varying skill sets required. As a result, many IT professionals are concerned about keeping up with evolving container technologies. 

The containerization skills gap

If you’re tasked with finding skilled resources in containerization and its orchestration layer, you know it can be extremely challenging. And it becomes even harder when seeking expertise in both managed file transfer (MFT) and containerization. Adapting applications for cloud deployment also requires specialized skills. There is undoubtedly a skills gap in the tech industry concerning containerization and cloud deployment; and it accentuates the competitive landscape for skilled professionals and underscores the importance of investing in talent development.

Embracing DevOps strategies

Modernizing your applications through containerization cannot be done in a vacuum. It requires a complete cultural shift and buy-in, from top down. DevOps strategies are designed to break down silos between development and operations teams, making the modernization of applications a continuous journey. As more organizations implement or plan to implement DevOps to expedite application development and delivery, it’s important to ensure everyone stays on the same page.

The DevOps market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.1% through 2028, according to Fortune Business Insights.

Our approach: Facilitating seamless integration

At CoEnterprise we adopt a unique approach related to collection of necessary data for software builds and deployments, including configurable elements like trading partners. Our aim is to reduce the complexity of onboarding and software management, ensuring a streamlined process from architecture and design consultation to hosting in the cloud.

We are specialists in helping companies modernize their MFT deployments using containers and cloud first approaches.

Our integration practice helps companies like yours solve many of their common daily integration challenges. From communication strategy, data transformation, and translation to data security visibility and analytics—we pride ourselves on being experts on everything integration. That paired with our outstanding client service makes us stand out.

To learn more about how our experts can help your business realize the value of a modern B2B integration, contact us today for a free consultation.