Most of us are familiar with iPaaS (integration platform as a service). These platforms are great for connecting systems and services, exposing data securely (often via APIs), and automating parts of business processes to reduce manual work. Modern iPaaS solutions are typically cloud-based and support low-code development, empowering a broader range of users, from professional developers to tech-savvy business users.
But enterprise orchestration platforms go a step further, as Massimo Pezzini describes in this analysis report.
Beyond iPaaS: Towards holistic orchestration
EOPs build on the foundation of iPaaS but aim for a more holistic approach to process automation and orchestration. They combine technologies such as:
- AI
- Robotic process automation (RPA)
- Business process management (BPM)
- Data integration
This broader approach is sometimes referred to as hyperautomation.
The core idea? Enable organisations to automate and orchestrate processes end-to-end, across departments and tools, all within a unified platform. The benefit is a consistent user experience, reduced implementation complexity, lower maintenance overhead, and faster innovation cycles.
The role of AI and especially agentic AI
What truly ties everything together in an EOP is AI-powered functionality, and more specifically, the support for Agentic AI, a new paradigm where autonomous AI agents can proactively handle tasks, orchestrate workflows, and interact with systems and users in intelligent ways. According to Massimo, an EOP should deliver:
A unified, AI-assisted low-code experience
Serving developers, business users, and admins. EOP is designed to lower the learning curve, boost productivity, accelerate time-to-value, reduce operational costs, and democratise development.
Modular, orchestrated by design
Letting you adopt only the capabilities you need, when you need them—thanks to a flexible, plug-and-play model that optimises cost and rollout.
Built on a cloud-native architecture
Ensuring high performance, scalability, availability, reliability, and compliance with strict SLAs. Even for the most demanding workloads.
End-to-end observability
Offering actionable insights for both technical and business users, enabling real-time awareness and paving the way for AI-driven autonomous operations.
Is this a departure from best-of-breed?
At first glance, EOPs may seem like the opposite of a best-of-breed strategy. And to some extent, that’s true.
In a best-of-breed model, you pick the strongest individual tools for each function. I tend to argue that most organisations don’t actually need the most feature-rich solution for every single area. What they do need is a platform that works well together, reducing integration overhead and making innovation faster and more accessible.
That said, there’s room for exceptions. Adopting an EOP doesn’t mean you can’t also bring in best-of-breed tools where needed. It’s more about finding the right balance.
Final thoughts
The real value of EOPs, and hyperautomation more broadly, is in seeing orchestration and automation holistically. It’s about expanding the toolbox beyond traditional integration platforms and allowing API specialists, automation experts, and AI developers to work within a shared, intelligent environment.
If your organisation values democratisation of automation and data, or wants to empower more people to contribute to digital transformation, then the EOP approach might be worth serious consideration.
As Massimo writes:
“An enterprise orchestration platform (EOP) makes humans, systems, AI agents, devices and robots work together by dynamically orchestrating a variety of modular capabilities.”