Hybrid integration without compromise

Frends Hybrid Integration enables organizations to execute integration processes anywhere: on-premises, in the cloud, or across both — all managed from a single control plane. Designed for regulated and complex IT environments, it ensures data sovereignty, security and performance without compromise.

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Navigating the complexities of modern IT

Enterprises today operate in a fragmented IT landscape. Data and applications are spread across on-premises systems, private clouds and modern SaaS platforms. Each has its own security, compliance, and connectivity requirements, making integration increasingly complex and costly. 

Data sovereignty and compliance

Industries such as finance, healthcare, and the public sector must comply with strict data residency laws (like GDPR) that define where data can be stored and processed. For many, sending sensitive data to the public cloud is not an option. 

Security and connectivity risks

Connecting cloud applications directly to on-premises systems can expose internal networks and create vulnerabilities. Firewalls, VPNs and complex topologies often lead to “integration gridlock.” 

Latency and performance

Large data transfers and real-time integrations between cloud and local systems can create significant latency and reduce reliability. 

Legacy systems without APIs

Many core systems, such as ERPs or mainframes, lack modern API interfaces, making them difficult to connect with cloud-based solutions through traditional iPaaS platforms. 

Data sovereignty and compliance Security and connectivity risks Latency and performance Legacy systems without APIs

The flexibility you need for hybrid environments 

The flexibility you need for hybrid environments Frends is built for true hybrid flexibility, with a distributed architecture that runs every process where it makes the most sense: close to the data. Sensitive data never leaves your network, delivering a secure, compliant and fully transparent hybrid integration layer. 

Unified control plane

Design, manage, and monitor all integrations from a single visual interface. The Frends Control Plane is securely hosted in the EU cloud but can also be fully deployed on-premises for organizations with strict governance or data residency requirements.

Distributed execution with Frends Agents

Lightweight runtime engines, Frends Agents, execute integrations wherever your systems reside. Deploy them on-premises to connect internal databases and legacy systems, in private or public clouds for SaaS integrations, or in containers (Docker/Kubernetes) for scalability and automation.

Secure by design

Frends’ distributed model keeps sensitive data within your own network. Agents process data locally and communicate securely with the Control Plane using encrypted channels, ensuring compliance, visibility and control across hybrid environments.

Key capabilities

Modernizing legacy systems

Frends connects legacy on-premises systems with modern cloud applications, securely and without exposing internal networks. An on-premises Agent can extract data from systems like SAP ERP, while a cloud-based Agent transfers it to platforms such as Salesforce, enabling modernization without disruption or risk. 

Ensuring regulatory compliance

With Frends, sensitive data never leaves your controlled environment. For example, a European bank processes and anonymizes customer data locally through an on-premises Agent, sending only aggregated insights to the cloud for analytics, ensuring full GDPR compliance. 

Real-time factory floor automation

Frends enables real-time data exchange between operational technology (OT) systems and cloud platforms. On-premises Agents connect directly to production machinery, triggering instant alerts and inventory updates in logistics systems with minimal latency. 

Secure public sector data exchange

Government agencies use Frends to securely connect and share sensitive data within controlled networks. An on-premises Agent accesses internal databases and exposes a secure API through the Frends API Gateway, ensuring that all processing happens inside the agency’s infrastructure while maintaining transparency and compliance. 

Modernizing legacy systems Ensuring regulatory compliance Real-time factory floor automation Secure public sector data exchange
Explore the platform
"Frends plays a significant role in supporting our strategy. Firstly, it empowers us to maintain control over our system architecture and harness data more efficiently. Secondly, it aids in generating predictive insights regarding consumption patterns in various regions. Lastly, Frends enables us to operate in a sustainable and profitable manner.”

Janne Hyyrynen

ICT Manager, Caruna

FAQ

Hybrid integration in Frends refers to the platform's native ability to run integration processes across different environments — cloud, on-premises, and private cloud — all managed from a single control plane. This is achieved using Frends Agents, which can be deployed anywhere, allowing you to execute processes right where your data resides while maintaining centralized development, monitoring and governance. 

Frends offers three main deployment models that can be mixed within a single tenant: 

  • Cloud: Fully managed by Frends in our secure European cloud environment. This is the default and quickest way to get started. 
  • Self-hosted (on-premises/private cloud): You install and run Frends Agents on your own infrastructure (Windows, Linux, or containers). This gives you full control over the execution environment and data location. 
  • Containerized: Deploy Agents using Kubernetes or other container orchestrators for dynamic scaling and modern DevOps practices, either in the cloud or on-premises. 
Frends Agents are the lightweight, secure runtimes that execute your integration processes. They connect to the Frends control plane using an outbound-only, secure connection (typically via Azure Service Bus) to receive tasks. Because they only require outbound connectivity, you don't need to open inbound firewall ports, making them inherently secure. You can install Agents anywhere, enabling you to bridge cloud and on-premises systems seamlessly. 
Yes. This is a key differentiator for Frends. You can deploy the entire Frends platform, including the control plane, UI and Agents, within your own network with zero connection to the public internet. This capability is critical for high-security environments like critical infrastructure, defence and finance. 

Frends was designed with European data regulations at its core. Data sovereignty is ensured in several ways: 

  • European hosting: The Frends cloud platform is hosted exclusively within the EU. 
  • Self-hosted control: By deploying Agents on-premises, your data processing remains within your network boundaries. All data stays where you decide. 
  • Compliance by design: Frends is ISO 27001 certified, SOC 2 compliant, and built to meet GDPR and NIS2 requirements, with features like full audit trails and data masking. 

Security is multi-layered: 

  • Encrypted communication: All communication between Agents and the control plane is encrypted using TLS 1.2+. 
  • No inbound ports: Agents use an outbound-only connection model, significantly reducing the attack surface of your on-premises network. 
  • Secure secret management: Credentials and other secrets are stored securely using the Frends encrypted variable system. 
  • Fine-grained access control: Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) lets you define exactly who can develop, deploy and execute processes on specific Agent Groups. 
You can achieve High Availability by installing multiple Agents and assigning them to the same "Agent Group." The platform will automatically load-balance executions across the available Agents. For stateful triggers (like schedulers or file triggers), configuring the Agent Group to use a shared database (e.g., SQL Server or PostgreSQL) ensures that triggers run on only one active agent at a time to prevent duplicate executions. 

The key difference is Frends' commitment to true hybrid flexibility and data sovereignty, not just a "cloud-first, on-prem second" approach. The main differentiators are: 

  • True air-gapped capability: The ability to run the entire platform on-premises, including the control plane. 
  • European-native: Built for and hosted in Europe, ensuring compliance with strict data laws like GDPR and NIS2 without reliance on US-based infrastructure. 
  • "Bring iPaaS to your data": Instead of forcing you to move data to the cloud for processing, Frends lets you deploy execution agents directly where your data lives, reducing latency, cost and security risks. 

Experience the power of Frends

Our integration and automation experts are ready to take you through the benefits of Frends and the technical deep dive developers love. Discover how our low-code iPaaS can unlock cost-effectiveness and give time back to your team. 
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