What is IaaS (Integration as a Service)?
Integration has become mission-critical for every modern organization — but managing it in-house isn’t always practical.
You’ve probably heard of iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service). Yet what so many overburdened IT teams are interested in is a fully managed Integration-as-a-Service experience where integrations are contracted to a third party expert. Let’s uncover the differences, benefits of either apprach, and how Lingk offers both!
Defining IaaS: Integration-as-a-Service
Integration-as-a-Service (IaaS) is a model where an external provider delivers and manages system integrations as a fully outsourced service. Instead of purchasing software and building integrations yourself, IaaS lets you hand over the entire responsibility to an expert partner.
In this model, the provider handles:
Strategy and system mapping
Data transformation and validation
Deployment and monitoring
Ongoing support and maintenance
It’s especially appealing to organizations that don’t have the internal bandwidth, skills, or desire to manage complex integrations — but still want reliable, secure, and timely data flows between systems.
iPaaS vs. IaaS vs. Lingk
With an iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service), your team has the tools to build integrations themselves. But if you don’t have the time or expertise, iPaaS alone may not be enough. With IaaS, integrations are delivered as a managed service.
And then there’s Lingk — which offers both the technology and services, plus something even more powerful: an AI-powered agent that builds integrations for you right within our enterprise-grade platform.
Here’s how the three approaches compare:
“Within only a few months, the Lingk team had integrations working that I spent years attempting to accomplish. Their team is professional, thinks outside of the box, and has solved our most complex integration issues. I highly recommend partnering with Lingk.”
American National University
The Best of Both Worlds
Lingk offers both technology and services, acting as a force multiplier for internal teams.
✅ A Powerful iPaaS Platform
Our iPaaS includes:
A low-code/no-code visual integration designer
Reusable agent-based architecture
Real-time data sync capabilities
Compatibility with systems like Salesforce, Ellucian, Anthology, Workday, and more
Customers can license our platform to build, run, and manage their own integrations.
✅ Expert-Delivered Integration Services
Most of our clients prefer to skip the DIY route. They want working integrations — fast, flexible, and future-ready — without having to build them.
That’s where our Integration Services team comes in. We act as an extension of your IT department, handling everything from scoping and implementation to maintenance and monitoring. We use our own platform to power these integrations, but you never have to touch it if you don’t want to.
When Does IaaS Make Sense?
IaaS is ideal if:
You’re short on internal development resources
You want integrations done fast, without a steep learning curve
You’re dealing with multiple systems and changing data models
You’d rather focus on strategic initiatives than infrastructure management
Planning Your Next Data Integration Project?
Connect with Lingk’s team to see how our iPaaS technology, autonomouse digital labor, and team of experts can accelerate your timeline, simplify your digital transformation, and support your team every step of the way.
