The right IT solutions can help businesses grow and remain competitive in the marketplace. If a business can count on an all-in-one solution to address its many automation needs, this can lead to cost savings and ease of use. Microsoft offers such a solution: BizTalk.
Microsoft BizTalk is an integrated solution that can manage many aspects of a business operations cycle: supply chain management, payment processing, decision making, reporting, and interactions with customers and other businesses.
A comprehensive solution like BizTalk is essential for businesses, especially when they need to make several different systems communicate. Files need to be exchanged between multiple companies: they may come from overseas branches or partners, or they may simply be processed by different applications in varied formats.
BizTalk ensures seamless communication with a series of adapter packs and third-party adapters designed to work with all popular business software packages.
BizTalk’s role in the communication process is simple: takes files whatever their format and makes sure they reach their destination in a format that can be recognized by the recipient.
When a file arrives from an application or from another party, BizTalk receives it and disassembles it. The file goes through part resolution (where BizTalk looks up the sender’s security identifier (SID) or sender’s certificate) and is basically unpacked into “messages”, the basic form of information that BizTalk handles.
The messages then travel to the BizTalk MessageBox from where they are sent to the orchestration. This is a crucial function of BizTalk, since it is basically where all the automated processes are coordinated and organized. Files are inspected and processed according to the rules dictated by the business rules engine.
The last step is the reassembly of the messages into files which are now ready to be processed through the “Send Port” where they can be taken by the applications they are intended for.
This process ensures that applications can use files with different formats and receive information in a way that they understand, capable of communicating with each other.
BizTalk works as a kind of translator.
The solution, however, is not just a means of improving Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), but also being able to automate a number of business processes such as billing, ordering, and payment.
Other benefits of integrating BizTalk into a business IT infrastructure are the reliability of the system that can seamlessly handle a number of operations without errors or delays. The system ensures the security of the data it processes and allows a business to comply with many business standards and regulations, including the very important Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) and the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. US (HIPAA) standards
BizTalk is flexible in that it can be integrated into existing enterprise IT infrastructures and with cloud technology such as Windows Azure. In fact, the latest version enables hybrid connectivity through an enterprise-class hybrid application that integrates an existing business IT setup and private cloud with a public cloud.
In addition, BizTalk has demonstrated scalability thanks to its Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) capability that allows enterprises to access applications in the cloud. Platform as a Service (PaaS) is also possible with BizTalk capable of integrating Microsoft Azure and is suitable for Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, Business to Business (B2B) tools and on-premises software.
With so many options available, configuring BizTalk in the most effective way for business automation is essential to ensure maximum profit for a company that decides to implement the system. An IT consulting service can be invaluable in calibrating software to meet a business’s needs by integrating it into existing infrastructure, establishing proper business rules, and providing the initial training and 24/7 support that can really make a difference.