Salesforce, Heroku and Heroku Connect Explained
Salesforce, Heroku and Heroku Connect, what's the difference?
Heroku
Let me begin by briefly explaining what Heroku is. Heroku is a Cloud Platform for Developers.
Also known as PaaS, a cloud Platform as a Service that allows developers to build, deploy, and manage applications without the complexities of infrastructure management. It handles the underlying infrastructure, such as servers, databases, and networking, so developers can focus on building their applications.
Heroku started as a standalone Ruby platform-as-a-service that provided developers with a simple way to build, deploy, and manage applications.
It prioritised ease of use and rapid development, allowing developers to focus on code rather than the underlying infrastructure.
Heroku Connect
Heroku Connect is a data integration tool, an add-on that synchronises data between Salesforce and a Heroku Postgres database.
Salesforce
Salesforce is a Cloud-based CRM platform, a leading customer relationship management (CRM) software used by businesses to manage sales, marketing, customer service, and more.
A background of Salesforce and Heroku
Salesforce completed its acquisition of Heroku in 2011. Heroku was a privately held cloud platform for writing Ruby-based applications.
Heroku offers a more robust solution for enterprise-level applications and includes additional features like:
- enhanced security,
- scalability, and
- compliance,
- making it suitable for large organisations.
Heroku connect
Heroku connect provides seamless connection to Salesforce data, allowing for the creation of customer-centric applications that leverage CRM data.
Heroku: A Core Component of Salesforce
Heroku is a core component of Salesforce and it is the foundation upon which Salesforce is built.
Heroku Connect1 on the other hand makes it easy for businesses to build Heroku apps that share data with your Salesforce deployment.
In simple terms, let's say a developer is building an app. Normally, you'd need to deal with servers, databases, and all sorts of technical stuff.
Heroku, in general, is like a pre-built workshop for your app. It provides everything you need – space to run your app, a way to store data, and tools to help you build it efficiently. This lets developers focus on writing the code, not setting things up.
The platform gives enterprise teams the quickest path to delivering trusted customer experiences at scale.
Heroku Connect adds some extra features for bigger companies.
(1) More security and privacy: This means your sensitive information is protected from unauthorised access.
To keep your data safe, Heroku Connect uses several methods:
- Isolated environments:
Each application runs in its own secure container, preventing data from one app from leaking into another. This is like having individual safety deposit boxes within a vault. - Strong encryption:
Your data is scrambled using complex codes, making it unreadable to anyone without the correct key. This is like using a sophisticated lock on your safety deposit box. - Regular security audits:
Heroku Connect constantly checks for vulnerabilities and threats, similar to a security guard patrolling the vault. - Access controls:
Only authorised personnel (or in your case, employees) can access the data. This is like having specific keys to access certain parts of a vault.
(2) With Heroku Connect, your business can handle growth without disruptions.
As your customer base expands, Heroku Connect can automatically adjust to handle the increased workload, ensuring your application continues to perform optimally.
(3) Heroku meets industry regulations effortlessly.
Helps your business adhere to strict security and privacy rules without the hassle, ensuring your customers' data is protected and your company is compliant with PCI, HIPPA, Service Organisation Controls (SOC), and other standards.
(4) With Heroku, there's streamlined teamwork for faster app development (Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery/Deployment workflows for optimal team collaboration).
Heroku helps different teams work together smoothly to build apps quickly and efficiently, reducing errors and delays, by automating repetitive tasks and ensuring everyone is on the same page. This assists teams to quickly deliver new features and improvements.
(5) Heroku Connect leverages customer data to create tailored solutions.
This means you can use information about your customers from Salesforce to build apps that meet their specific needs, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.
(6) Heroku has a marketplace of tools to boost productivity.
With Heroku, you have access to a wide range of pre-built solutions to handle different aspects of your app development, saving time and resources.
(7) Heroku has a unified dashboard to manage apps for efficient operations.
This means you have a single place to oversee all aspects of your application, from development to deployment and billing, streamlining your workflow.
Comparable Platforms to Heroku
Heroku can be compared to other Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings in the market. These platforms provide a cloud-based environment for developers to build, deploy, and manage applications without the complexities of infrastructure management.
Here are the Key Competitors to Heroku
(a) Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elastic Beanstalk:
Similar to Heroku, it provides a managed platform for deploying and scaling applications. However, AWS offers a broader range of services and a more complex infrastructure.
(b) Google App Engine:
Like Heroku, it focuses on developer productivity and automatic scaling.
It also offers strong integration with Google Cloud Platform services.
(c) Microsoft Azure App Service:
Similar to Heroku and others, it provides a platform for building and deploying web applications. It's part of the larger Azure cloud platform, offering a wide range of services.
What Sets Heroku Apart from the Competition?
While the above mentioned platforms share similarities, Heroku often stand out due to:
- Strong focus on developer experience:
Heroku was built with developers in mind, emphasising simplicity and rapid development. - Deep integration with Salesforce:
Heroku offers seamless connectivity to Salesforce data, enabling the creation of customer-centric applications. - Emphasis on scalability and reliability:
Heroku is designed to handle growing application demands without compromising performance.
In conclusion, Heroku can be seen as user-friendly platform that prioritise developer productivity and application performance, while offering a good balance of features and flexibility. To learn more about Heroku and how it can best suit your business needs, get in touch.
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