Cloud-to-Cloud Integration: Connecting Two SaaS Platforms Without Hardware

Some integrations are purely software-to-software — connecting a cloud-based energy monitoring platform to a cloud-based facility management tool, for instance, with no physical gateway or device in between. This is one of the simpler categories of integration precisely because there's no physical layer to account for, just two APIs that need to talk to each other.

Data moves directly between the two platforms' cloud APIs, often through a middleware or integration platform that handles the translation between each system's specific data format, authentication method and update frequency. This middleware layer is what makes it possible to connect two platforms that were never designed with each other in mind.

As with any API integration, this depends entirely on both platforms actually exposing an API and permitting third-party access — some SaaS platforms restrict this to certain pricing tiers or require a formal partner agreement. Confirming this with both vendors early avoids scoping a project around an integration that turns out not to be accessible.