iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service)
Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) is a category of cloud-hosted integration platforms that provide pre-built connectors, low-code mapping, orchestration, and observability for moving data between SaaS and on-premise applications. Reference vendors include Boomi (Dell-spun-out, now standalone), Workato, Informatica IICS, Snaplogic, Microsoft Azure Logic Apps, and MuleSoft Anypoint Platform's iPaaS edition. iPaaS is the cloud-native successor pattern to the on-premise Enterprise Service Bus.
Why it matters
iPaaS is the practical answer for organizations that want PLM, MES, ERP, and a long tail of best-of-breed SaaS tools to share data without committing to one vendor's proprietary integration layer. The shift from ESB to iPaaS is also why PLM RFPs increasingly ask "which iPaaS do you natively support" rather than "do you have an open API" — the assumption is now that the integration backbone is shared infrastructure, not custom code.
Related concepts
External References
This term appears in
Cite this definition
Finocchiaro, Michael. “iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service).” DemystifyingPLM PLM Glossary, 2026, https://www.demystifyingplm.com/glossary/ipaas-integration-platform-as-a-service