The MACH concept brings together the many technical components that are needed for a truly seamless customer journey. It is simpler and more agile and up to date than conventional methods. With such cloud software architecture based on microservices and APIs, you can free yourself from the shackles and limitations of monolithic all-in-one marketing suites. Using MACH makes you more independent and able to respond flexibly to changes and new challenges. You will save costs and reduce investment risks.
What is MACH and why is a MACH architecture so important for CTOs and marketers?
C-level managers such as CTOs are the movers and shakers of digital transformation. For them, speed is of considerable importance in introducing new business models to the market and to customers. As an acronym, MACH stands not only for maximum object speed but also for high speed throughout IT and in particular in the marketing technology stack. A MACH architecture brings together the different technical components required for a truly seamless customer journey and for rapid changes, and it does so simply and with proper agility. MACH uses a cloud architecture based on microservices and APIs that is headless. With MACH you are no longer bound by a provider’s large-scale “monolithic” suite and its components. Marketing and IT can, jointly with their business partners and agencies, create flexibly composable platforms and digital solutions taken over from the best available systems and tools.
Leading market analysts confirm that in the coming years MACH will be the dominant base for a new and wholly modular business approach. MACH ensures agility and investment protection as it makes users less dependent on one particular technology provider (weaker vendor lock-in effect) while from an IT angle the architecture can nevertheless be maintained and supported safely and with proper stability.
The four parts of a MACH architecture:
- Microservices: Connect any kind of microservice / application to your business solution.
- API-first: Plug & play! Let your data flow between components and systems through simple, standardized API links.
- Cloud-native: All parts of your martech environment should seamlessly work together as software as a service (SaaS). This speeds up time-to-market and saves costs in all areas.
- Headless: A headless CMS decouples presentation at the front-end (website, web app, webshop, digital signage, etc.) from content created at the back-end. A headless CMS breaks up the rigid architecture of conventional CMS solutions and creates a new kind of content management with a content hub at the center that makes content available for all channels and touchpoints.
How you can benefit from a MACH architecture
The innovative MACH IT architecture is the key to attaining typical digital transformation goals. When you compare a conventional (monolithic) digital experience ecosystem with one operating on MACH (optimum interoperability and minimum technical dependence), the advantages from an IT and marketing viewpoint are obvious:
Composable DXP (MACH architecture)
- Moving at high speed from an idea via MVP to the digital service/product. As all components run uniformly on MACH infrastructure, innovative solutions can be swiftly rolled out and scaled.
- Simple plug&play and complete software-as-a-service enable quicker integration of new best-of-breed components, ensure greater agility and reduce the specialist resources required to keep on-premises solutions moving ahead.
- Less producer dependence: components from other producers can be easily added if they offer additional value.
- Quicker transformation of new business solutions as individual systems work better together. Leading new tools and technologies can be swiftly integrated.
Monolithic DXP
- In many cases, dependence on developers and IT resources hamper market introduction of a digital marketing or distribution initiative. Also, monolithic platforms are not readily scalable.
- All-in-one suites are designed to make use of their own components. Third-party systems can be integrated but require more time and effort. They also involve many responsibilities and maintenance requirements for which internal and external IT experts are needed.
- Total dependence on one provider. The decision to invest in a particular platform has an impact lasting many years. Users are fully dependent on the product road map, price changes, support and many other aspects.
- Integration is usually a more complex exercise requiring planning, programming, tests, etc.
A MACH architecture is advantageous for all large and medium-sized enterprises. It enables financial institutions to implement new, easily scalable financial business solutions more quickly. Industrial companies can create highly integrated touchpoints for sales, marketing and interaction with their business partners without the need for major IT investment. MACH is the state-of-the art tool to build a digital experience architecture and a suitable ecosystem for every company.
Macaw: your partner for a future-proof, flexible MACH architecture that will make your company stronger
Analysts like Gartner & Forrester regard MACH as important for progressive companies. By using a MACH-based composable digital experience platform, you will organise your IT environment in accordance with the support standard of all major providers (Microsoft, Adobe, Sitecore, etc.). Find out how you can make a great leap forward towards a fully flexible MACH infrastructure and benefit from cost and time savings.
Macaw’s over 500 digital experts love challenges. Our record of success includes hundreds of projects in web content management, B2B commerce and digital marketing. Macaw has for many years been a solid implementation partner of Sitecore. Use our services to transform your current Sitecore stack into a future-proof MACH-driven composable digital experience platform.
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