First Impressions of Boomi Integration Platform will rock your Integrations!!!
Updated March 09, 2017

First Impressions of Boomi Integration Platform will rock your Integrations!!!

David Byrd | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Boomi

SFCG is a consulting firm. Its primary focus is supporting the Oracle CX suite and other Oracle Cloud Applications. My team's, the Apps & Integration team, role is to develop integration in Boomi, which helps solve the problem for our customers to get data in and out of the applications
  • After recently finishing my first small business focused Boomi integration here at SFCG, here are the top five things that are totally cool about the Boomi Atomsphere Platform:
  • Coding Not Required: This integration required sourcing data from one cloud app and writing to two different objects in another Oracle CX cloud app. This integration performs a web service call for the source data (QuickBooks Online) and then uses web services to write to two different entities (Oracles Sales Cloud – Accounts/Contacts) in another application. For more complex situations, Boomi does allow for coding using JavaScript or Groovy. However, no higher level coding was performed here. This process included 37 different steps.
  • Unique Data Processing: Boomi processes a single record at a time. This sounds similar to the way the current integration products work but it’s actually not quite the same. Most tools process a whole file (with multiple records) thru each step. Boomi’s methodology runs the record (or row of data), which is a basic unit of work, thru the process up and until you decide to combine it into a multi-record document. One reason a development engineer might find this interesting is that the developer designs a process to handle a single unit of work. Boomi handles the looping. Totally Cool!!!
  • Branching Processes: Branching allows you to start over with the source data to accomplish something else in your process. Only one source read is required to process a record thru multiple branches. Above we process all the source records into an Account entity, and then we start over with the original source data and process it into Contacts.
  • Storing Results for Error Handling: Result info easily captured. We can capture results and store them into a Dynamic Process Property.
  • And the TOP COOLNESS Reason. Every Integration methodology concept we configured into this integration helps builds a template for starting on the next. Some of the artifacts will even be re-usable.
  • Another cool feature is using the Email feature to email of process results is fairly simple and straightforward. I have written a blog article about this:
  • http://sfcg.com/four-steps-to-using-the-boomi-email-step-in-integrations/
  • The last cool feature I have actually written about is the Flow Control feature.
  • Boomi handles many integration tasks at a high level without the need for scripting pretty much at all. However, there comes a time when you just need to alter/manipulate/examine the document by groups, and most of the Step components generally cannot do that. However, you can use the Flow Control step.
  • The Flow Control Step is one component that is totally awesome. For example when using the process batch web-services in Oracle CX – Sales Cloud you can group the XML payloads in batches of 500. In your Boomi data Integrator process you can easily handle this issue with the Flow Control Step.
  • This step takes individual documents flowing into this step, and batches them in whatever is configured as a Batch parameter. It is typically followed by a combined step.
  • Sample Flow
  • Say Quickbooks as a source has 1800 records in their database. Through web-services we are provided with 1800 XML documents, one at a time. These documents flow thru the Flow Control Step, and only 500 (or less) at a time are processed. Then the next step combines the 500 that flowed into the step and creates a single document with combined information of the 500 records.
  • This would happen for document 501 thru 1000, and then 1001 thru 1500, and then 1501, thru 1800.
  • http://sfcg.com/boomi-integrations-the-coolest-feature-yet-the-flow-control-step/
  • The Data Process step has a cool feature for splitting records. However the XML piece has some reported issues. This is easily overcome with custom Groovy scripting.
  • Boomi has given us another alternative tool to offer our customers for their integration solution.
Our team has used Actian DataConnect since the Mid 1990's. It was formerly known as Data Junction and then Pervasive Data Integrator. We looked at Boomi as an additional tool to aid in our Integrations. We did compare it to Informatica and thought it was a better fit for our customers.

We have been using Boomi and doing great. I like the way we can break down data into small units of work. It simplifies how to handle multi-conditional pathing and the unit of work level.

Currently, I am working at SFCG, using various tools to build integrations into Oracle CX products. When we started kicking the tires on Boomi and in the training and development since that time, I've tried a series of processes out that have given me trouble in other tools. Below is a brief recap of my experience and growing admiration for the way in which this tool has made my job easier.

My first goal with using Boomi was to connect to an instance of CRM On-Demand (a task that can on other platforms be a time-consuming endeavor). What I found was a useful wizard, pictured below, with a series of pop-up steps to follow.
In other tools, I have spent more time in trying to define the schemas, than actually completing the maps that use them. Boomi reduced that time from my process. This is one small example of many demonstrating how my teammates and I feel as if we were working in black and white and are now working in color with Boomi AtomSphere. Tasks I've taken for granted are complex, time-consuming and meticulous are simplified, streamlined and transformed with powerful features like Boomi Suggest - a handy feature that leverages the collective intelligence of the Boomi community to suggest which fields should be mapped in a Data Map.

You don't need to take my word for it, another member of our team, Li Mo started building out an integration to Oracle Sales Cloud, using the SOAP API Connector. He was able to do a complete integration to insert a record into the Account entity, and it took about an hour and a half.

Note: it had been about 1 month since we both actually took the training courses. I believe we choose an additional tool that plays to the inner strengths of working in the cloud, and I can not wait until I start full blown to continue development on new integration projects using Dell Boomi AtomSphere.

Recommendations to other buyers: Try it to see if it fits your needs.
Boomi is suited when an integration between systems is required. Within that domain of data processing, I have not found case where I would choose another integration tool because Boomi could not handle it.

Boomi Feature Ratings

Pre-built connectors
9
Connector modification
Not Rated
Support for real-time and batch integration
9
Data quality services
Not Rated
Data security features
Not Rated
Monitoring console
8

Boomi Support

They are quick to respond. Sometimes I figure out workarounds before they respond, but I am impatient and try other options.
They acknowledge issues and have a Suggestions portal, the knowledge base is helpful too.
ProsCons
Quick Resolution
Good followup
Knowledgeable team
Problems get solved
Kept well informed
No escalation required
Immediate help available
Support understands my problem
Support cares about my success
Quick Initial Response
None
Yes - Yes, the response time is sometimes between 30 minutes and 3 hours.
Boomi Support is not just a process that occurs at development time. Mike Frasier ( Dell Boomi SW Sales Engineer ) actually took time to review our first process, and gave some good pointers. Their mindset is the only way to have a continuous subscription stream is to ensure the Integrations written work to the best of the requirements of the users.