MuleSoft Survey Finds Connectivity Is Driving Business Strategy

SAN FRANCISCO – July 30, 2015 – MuleSoft, the company that makes it easy to connect applications, data and devices, today announced the findings of its 2015 Connectivity Benchmark Report on the adoption and business impact of APIs.

The findings suggest traditional businesses are quickly evolving into “composable enterprises” built out of hundreds of connected software services, applications and devices. Most are embracing the Internet of Things (IoT) and microservices technologies like Docker. A majority are integrating wearables, like smart watches, and more than half plan to generate revenue with APIs within the next year.

Overall, businesses are making APIs a strategic priority as they adapt to cloud, mobile devices and the explosion of Internet-connected sensors.

Among the key results:

APIs Have Arrived

• Nearly 75 percent of organizations have an API strategy, and more than 50 percent say they are generating revenue through an API or will be within a year.
• 33 percent of financial services organizations and 50 percent of media/telecom organizations that are deriving revenue from APIs make more than $10 million through this channel.
• 70 percent of organizations are integrating at least 20 applications; of those making $10 billion or more in revenue, 58 percent are integrating 100 or more applications.

IoT Is Coming Faster Than You Might Think

• 77 percent say they already have an IoT strategy, and approximately 75 percent of respondents rank the IoT as “very important” or “important” to their business plans over the next 12 months.
• Respondents indicated that the main driver of their IoT strategy is to improve the customer experience and engagement (41 percent) and improve business operations and maintenance (38 percent).
• 70 percent of respondents say their organizations are either currently integrating wearables or plan to do so in the next 12 months.

Microservices Are More Than a Buzzword

• 66 percent of IT decision makers (ITDMs) say microservices will be “important” or “very important” to their business strategy in the next 12 months.

Mobile Is Driving New Investment

• More ITDMs (60 percent) are increasing their investment in iOS and Android than any other development platform, including Linux, Windows/.NET and AWS.
• 64 percent of large enterprises, defined as 10,000 employees or more, are investing more in mobile this year than previously.

SaaS Is Still at the Center

• The largest number of ITDMs (25 percent) cite SaaS as their top integration priority, followed by API development for self-serve IT (14 percent) and business intelligence/machine data analytics (12 percent).

Need for Speed

• 86 percent of IT respondents say they’re under “moderate” to “extreme” pressure to deliver services faster than last year.

“Business success depends on connecting the unconnected. To launch a new product, create a new service or improve what you already have, organizations need to connect applications, data and devices,” said Ross Mason, founder and vice president of product strategy, MuleSoft. “It’s clear from this report that businesses are taking that truth to heart. They’re embracing microservices. They’re creating mobile apps. They’re laying the groundwork for a world of connected sensors. Above all, they’re embracing APIs to make all these connections efficiently. They understand that APIs aren’t just tools for integration. They’re a way to build a composable business that can adapt, innovate and transform itself faster than the competition.”

The complete MuleSoft 2015 Connectivity Benchmark Report can be downloaded here.

Methodology

Between May 1 and May 6, 2015, MuleSoft surveyed 300 IT decision makers (ITDMs) to assess how organizations of all sizes are implementing and planning for APIs, the Internet of Things (IoT), microservices and other connected technologies. The survey’s margin of error is +/-4.17 percentage points at a 90 percent confidence interval.

About MuleSoft

MuleSoft’s mission is to connect the world’s applications, data and devices. MuleSoft makes connecting anything easy with Anypoint Platform™, the only complete integration platform for SaaS, SOA and APIs. Thousands of organizations in 60 countries, from emerging brands to Global 500 enterprises, use MuleSoft to innovate faster and gain competitive advantage. http://www.mulesoft.com/

MuleSoft is a registered trademark of MuleSoft, Inc. All other marks are those of respective owners.