Some integration methods are not compatible with EBS in the cloud. The prospect of unpicking these existing integrations and modernising the EBS data transfer to use Datalinks or Workflow event based messaging, can feel overwhelming and prevent an institution from achieving their digital transformation goals.

Modernising your integrations can be the perfect opportunity to ensure data is properly validated and transformed before being delivered to its destination point(s). For instance, sending Unicode characters downstream to non-Unicode compliant applications generates errors and wastes precious time and resource.

The integrations you rely on may have been designed by teams (or an individual!) that have long since left your institution, or by companies that aren't specialised in integration. They are often brittle, poorly maintained and are an unsupportable blackbox in your institution.

Finding the right human resource or integration partner that understands the complexity of integration, the proprietary Workflow or Datalink APIs component of EBS and the nuances of higher education is almost impossible.

On-premise student systems with insecure integration mechanisms are persistently being targeted by ransomware cyber criminals, crippling several UK and Irish institutions and costing thousands to resolve. Furthermore, increased data compliance regulations such as the GDPR are putting a much greater onus on your institution to properly manage your data.

Student system vendors have enhanced their solutions to be more open through the delivery of API's and integration development kits. This requires in-depth proprietary technical expertise to make them usable and does not take responsibility for the full end-to-end delivery of data to numerous end points.