When I encounter yet another vendor with yet another “connected business” pitch, I have a mental checklist of things I’m looking for.

The key “connected business” differentiators I’m looking for in a vendor’s offering—and their development roadmap—consist of the following:

• Does it enable self-service process integration with strong governance?
• Does it support API-agile and cloud-native process integration?
• Does it provide tools for customers to create and enforce smart contracts within blockchain based business processes?
• Does it provide developers with tools for implementing bot-driven process automation?
• Does it enable role- and task-specific guidance and real-time collaboration across distributed teams of technical and business people on connected-business projects?
• Does it leverage artificial intelligence to accelerate data-driven automation and human decision augmentation on complex process-integration initiatives?

While scanning the newswires this morning, I came across several fresh announcements from Boomi, an established integration platform as a service (iPaaS) solution provider, and was quite impressed. Boomi, a Dell subsidiary, has nailed every single point on my connected-business checklist. At Boomi World 18 in Las Vegas, the vendor announced the following additions to its iPaaS solution portfolio:

• Self-service iPaas with strong governance: The new Boomi Connect Now solution provides a centralized self-service iPaaS platform for business users, vendors, and suppliers that maintains stringent IT controls.
• API-agile B2B iPaaS integration: The new Boomi API Gateway and Developer Portal facilitate secure and scalable iPaaS interactions with external parties, enhancing discoverability and enabling scalable engagement with the iPaaS API consumers.
• Cloud-native iPaaS value-chain integration: The new Data Services for Pivotal Cloud Foundry supports iPaaS deployment options for Pivotal Kubernetes and Pivotal Application Services environments from the Pivotal Cloud Foundry marketplace, within Pivotal’s Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery framework.
• Smart contracts within blockchain based iPaaS-based business processes: The new blockchain connector support for Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric enables fast and easy iPaaS integration of customer business processes with smart contracts on those platforms.
• Bot-driven iPaaS automation development: The new Bot SDK accelerates bot building by Boomi developers and integration of those bots into existing iPaaS infrastructure.

In addition, Boomi announced a new iPaaS vision and strategy to help customers deepen connectivity among applications, users, and devices across business ecosystems. Chief elements of its solution roadmap include:

• Role- and task-specific iPaaS guidance: Boomi is tailoring experiences to users of different levels of technical expertise across a wide range of iPaaS projects, providing each person with guidance and “suggestion routes” best suited to the project or task at hand;
• Real-time collaboration across distributed iPaaS teams: Boomi is building solutions that will enable simplified real-time collaboration across users and teams on iPaaS projects and deployments, with ensuring continuous enforcement of stringent controls and project tracking
• Leveraging artificial intelligence for iPaaS project acceleration and optimization: Boomi is integrating AI more deeply in its iPaaS solutions to help users complete projects and tasks quickly and efficiently, optimize configuration of Boomi solutions for specific needs, based on feedback and insights from the community, and accelerate integration of blockchain smart contracts into business processes.

And to speed customers today on their connected-business journeys, Boomi also announced the following new consulting and enablement services:

• New iPaaS professional services: Boomi introduced a new subscription-based “Enterprise Innovation Services” offering that enables users to collaborate with Boomi experts in connected-business iPaaS projects to build a connected business. The program provides a package of integration services, support and resources, with the flexibility to customize to specific customer needs. Boomi has also rolled out a new Architectural Services professional services offering, under which customers can partner with Dell Boomi’s technical, solutions, business and enterprise architects.
• New technology partner program: Boomi launched a new program under which provides partners—including independent software vendors, and systems integrators–with training, support and other enablement resources to engage customers in using Boomi’s cloud integration and workflow automation solutions to accelerate innovation, build connected businesses, and drive digital transformation. Under the program, Boomi leverages the Dell Boomi SDK to help partners develop public connectors; leverage APIs to enable solution interoperability, and validate solution compatibility with the Boomi platform. Under the program, partners can access development, testing, guidance, support, training, certification, and marketing resources.

To get a deeper dive into what Boomi’s doing, check out the interviews they’re doing today live on theCUBE at Boomi 18.