Headless Systems: Understanding Architectural Styles for Composed Systems of Modular Applications

Description

This IDC Perspective will guide readers through the basic terminology and distinctions between systems design concepts and technical deployments of monolithic, headless, and composable applications. It outlines the differences between modules, microservices, and components that use API interfaces to interact with and connect to headless systems. Readers will learn the level of digital maturity needed to successfully realize the benefits of modular systems."The journey toward digital maturity in modular systems is dynamic and multifaceted," says Marci Maddox, research vice president, Digital Experience Strategies at IDC. "Competitive enterprises must align their digital maturity to the appropriate system - monolithic, full stack, hybrid headless, or headless - that will successfully achieve the goals of the organization."

Product Code: US51005323

Executive Snapshot

Situation Overview

Confused About the Language of Integrated Systems of Composable Business Software? You're Not Alone
Off with the Head: The Presentation Needs to Be Decoupled from Everything Else in a Headless System
Back End for Front End: Ambitious Multihead Experience Delivery Often Requires More than One Back End
Most "Headless" Applications Will Come with an Operator User Interface Out of the Box, Presenting an Interesting Challenge During Operations and Process Planning
Abstracting Interfaces in Headless Systems: The Role of APIs and Command-Line Interfaces
API-First Design in Headless Systems
The Push to Decouple and Decompose Explained
Deployment Options for Entire Systems from Pure Monolithic Systems to Approximate Autonomy
There's No Such Thing as a One-Size-Fits-All System for Digital Business
- Stage 1: Evolving Digital Maturity with Developer Constraints
- Stage 2: Composing with Simple Rules-Based Workflows
- Stage 3: Easing into a Best-of-Breed Architecture
- Stage 4: Unlocking World-Class CX and AI Opportunities with Minimal Risk
- Stage 5: Systems So Automated They Can (Almost) Run Themselves