August 2023 Summaries

Unified.to provides a streamlined process for integrating user authentication into applications through its Unified Authentication API, allowing users to sign in using various authentication integrations. Developers can activate desired integrations, customize authentication pages with branding, and obtain OAuth2 credentials from vendors like Google. Once activated, sign-in links can be created using the API to redirect users to the vendor's authentication page, ensuring that Unified.to does not access user credentials. After successful authentication, users are redirected back to the application with a JWT appended to the URL, which developers can verify using their workspace secret to log users in securely. An alternative to building custom sign-in pages is using Unified.to's embedded sign-in widget.

In August 2023, Unified.to introduced several significant updates, including a new Unified Authentication API and an embeddable sign-in component, enhancing its integration capabilities and user authentication processes. The company emphasized the importance of integrations in expanding market opportunities and retaining customers, highlighting their efforts to eliminate development barriers like changing APIs and compatibility issues. Unified.to expanded its pre-built integration suite to over 100 systems, allowing a single integration to add multiple B2B SaaS connections. The new Unified Authentication API supports over 50 identity providers, facilitating seamless user onboarding with OAuth 2 integrations like Gusto. The embeddable sign-in component offers flexible authentication options through customizable, brand-consistent widgets for JavaScript, VueJS, React, or Angular. Updates to existing integrations include new objects and fields for software like Factorial, Teamtailor, Recruiterflow, Lever, ActiveCampaign, ZohoRecruit, and JazzHR, enabling enhanced functionality and user experience. Additionally, the Unified Passthrough API was enhanced to support additional APIs and data from integrations, further solidifying Unified.to's position as a comprehensive platform for B2B customer-facing integrations.

To access Paycom data or automate workflows via integration, obtaining a SID/Username and Token/Password is necessary, and this guide outlines how to acquire these credentials, emphasizing the importance of working with a Paycom Account Representative to enable the REST API, whitelist your IP address, create an API Service User, and generate authentication credentials. The process is straightforward but managing multiple vendors with unique authentication flows and maintenance needs can be complex. Unified.to offers a real-time integration platform that simplifies this by providing a single, secure API layer compatible with 27 SaaS tools, eliminating the need for numerous custom connectors. Their usage-based pricing model is designed to scale with your product without incurring per-connection fees, setup charges, or lock-in, and a demo can be booked to explore how this approach ensures predictable integration costs.

Generating a Deel Access Token is essential for connecting Deel to other platforms, as it serves as the authentication method needed for integration. This process involves selecting the token type, either Organizational or Personal, adding a token name, and choosing the necessary scopes before generating the token, which must be copied and saved immediately as it cannot be viewed again. While obtaining the token is straightforward, the more complex task is constructing reliable data pipelines to accommodate the increasing number of systems customers may connect. Unified.to offers a versatile integration layer that simplifies integration delivery by allowing data delivery through various methods such as APIs, streaming webhooks, database syncs, or MCP tools for AI agents, providing flexibility without necessitating trade-offs. They offer a demo to illustrate how their platform facilitates seamless integration across numerous categories and integrations.

The guide provides a step-by-step process for obtaining essential credentials, such as the Agency slug, API Key, and Agency ID, necessary for integrating with Loxo, a recruitment platform. It instructs users to generate these credentials through Loxo's account settings by navigating to the profile icon, accessing the settings, and locating the API Keys section to add a new key. Similarly, users can find their Agency slug on their agency's career page URL. While this process is crucial for integrating with Loxo, it can be repetitive when scaling integrations. Unified.to offers a solution by providing 463 pre-built integrations with features like normalized schemas, real-time delivery, and virtual webhooks, eliminating the need for manual scripting and reducing integration time significantly.

To access Jobvite data or automate workflows, obtaining an API Key, API Key Secret, and Email is essential, which can be acquired by filing a support ticket with Jobvite's Customer Success team or by contacting an account representative. The process involves selecting the issue type, providing a detailed description of the request, and ensuring the email address used is associated with a dedicated Jobvite user and can accept the registration process. It is important to note that access to the Contacts API requires enabling the Jobvite Engage product, which comes with an additional fee. Unified.to offers a solution by providing 463 integrations with normalized schemas and real-time delivery, simplifying and accelerating the integration process significantly compared to traditional methods.

To access Crelate data and automate workflows, obtaining an API key is essential, and this guide provides detailed instructions on locating and setting up the key for development or end-customer use. The API key can be found in the "My Settings & Preferences" section under the Settings Tab, where users can enable the key and, if necessary, regenerate a new one, though this will invalidate any existing links using the old key. API management allows administrators to oversee and control user access by clearing or disabling API keys, which would require users to regenerate keys for continued access. The guide also introduces Unified.to, a solution that simplifies API management by providing unified objects across multiple APIs, reducing the complexity of managing vendor-specific variations and allowing teams to focus on feature development rather than debugging.

Developers connecting to PCRecruiter need a Username, Password, and Database ID for authentication, which can be generated and configured through the system's API settings. While obtaining these credentials is essential, the more significant challenge lies in supporting numerous vendors, each with different authentication flows and maintenance needs. Unified.to offers a solution to this problem by providing a real-time integration platform that replaces the need for creating and maintaining multiple custom connectors with a single secure API layer that works across 27 SaaS tools. This platform offers a scalable, usage-based pricing model without per-connection fees, setup charges, or lock-in, allowing for predictable integration costs that grow alongside the user's product.

To integrate with JobDiva, obtaining a Client ID, Username/email, and Password from a customer's JobDiva account is essential for authenticating requests. The process involves contacting JobDiva Support to acquire a Client ID and having a JobDiva admin create a dedicated API user with appropriate permissions. Once these credentials are secured, integration can proceed, but handling keys and tokens across vendors poses security risks. Unified.to offers a solution by managing these elements behind a secure layer, ensuring credentials remain under user control and reducing risks associated with misconfigured scopes. Unified provides a compliant and real-time integration experience, emphasizing data security and scalability.

Developers connecting to PCRecruiter require a Username, Password, Database ID, App Key, and App ID for authentication, which can be generated and configured through a step-by-step process involving navigation through the system's top bar and API settings. The challenge lies not only in acquiring these credentials but also in managing multiple vendors with distinct authentication flows and maintenance needs. Unified.to offers a solution by providing a real-time integration platform that replaces the need for numerous custom connectors with a single, secure API layer that works across 30 SaaS tools. This platform offers usage-based pricing without per-connection fees, setup charges, or lock-in, allowing integration costs to scale predictably with the product, and encourages potential users to book a demo to explore these benefits.

Ahmad Nassri, a Fractional CTO, advises software companies on developing effective technology investment strategies that align with long-term product objectives while maximizing revenue and minimizing costly failures. He emphasizes focusing on core customer needs rather than over-investing in infrastructure that isn't directly relevant to customers. Nassri cautions against building technology from scratch when third-party solutions can offer necessary functionality efficiently, citing services like AWS and Stripe as valuable resources. He also highlights the importance of considering time to market and advises leveraging integrations to enhance product stickiness and reduce churn, especially in competitive industries. Furthermore, Nassri stresses the need to calculate the total cost of ownership, including ongoing maintenance and opportunity costs, to avoid future financial surprises and ensure sustainable technological growth.