According to the New IDC IT Cloud Services Survey:  Top Benefits and Challenges, integration with in-house IT remains a top 10 challenge. Informatica’s Chief Marketing Officer Chris Boorman went further in his 2010 Predictions From The World Of Data Integration. He notes in his third prediction that:  “Cloud Data Integration will eclipse both security and availability to be the defining capability that drives Cloud Computing success.”

Because ‘tis the season, here are 5 more cloud integration predictions for 2010:

1. Greater SaaS application adoption and the emergence of more cloud platforms will result in greater data fragmentation and the need for an independent, enterprise-strength data integration and data quality platform as a service and a marketplace for prepackaged integration services.
2. To address growing data volumes and complexity challenges, and to meet the needs of tight IT budgets (note that IDC also posted primary cloud services benefits), integration delivered as a cloud service will become one of the fastest growing areas of cloud computing.
3. To avoid data fragmentation, CIOs will reject point-to-point integration services and look for true cloud-based integration platforms that will scale and grow with their business.
4. IT organizations will look to extend their investment in data integration and data quality platforms to get more from all of their cloud-based assets.
5. The recognition of the importance of integration to success in the clouds will lead to greater IT and business alignment (be sure to watch this Dreamforce ’09 session Integration: Crossing the Business / IT Divide featuring Amerigroup, Morgan Stanley, and TransUnion).

Here’s hoping all of your clouds are connected in 2010…

Happy Holidays!