# Overview of Confluent Cloud Integrations Confluent Cloud provides robust integration capabilities, enabling you to securely connect your streaming data platform to a wide range of external services and cloud service providers (CSPs). Integrations are designed to be secure, reusable, and easy to manage, supporting a variety of use cases from analytics to machine learning. ## What are integrations? Integrations in Confluent Cloud allow you to: - Connect to third-party services, including databases, AI/ML platforms, and APIs. - Manage access to cloud service provider (CSP) resources for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. - Reuse connection configurations across multiple applications and services. - Maintain security and compliance with centralized management and role-based access control (RBAC). ## Types of integrations Confluent Cloud supports several types of integrations to help you connect, manage, and secure access to external services and cloud resources. Each integration type is designed to address specific use cases, from partner integrations and reusable connection details to centrally managing cloud provider access. ### Connect with Confluent Program The Connect with Confluent (CwC) program enables partners to build direct integrations with Confluent Cloud, providing their customers with seamless access to data streaming capabilities through their native platform experience. This program is designed for technology partners who want to embed Confluent Cloud functionality directly into their applications and services. Key benefits of the CwC program include: - Direct access to Confluent Cloud through partner platforms. - Customizable end-user experiences with flexible configuration options. - Integration with Schema Registry and Stream Governance capabilities. - Support for both new and existing Confluent Cloud organizations. - Comprehensive APIs for managing topics, configurations, and authentication. The program supports various integration patterns, from simple topic producers and consumers to complex data streaming workflows. Partners can choose between creating new Confluent Cloud organizations for their customers or integrating with existing ones, depending on their specific use case requirements. For details, see [Connect with Confluent for Confluent Cloud](connect-w-confluent.md#connect-w-confluent). ### Connections Connections are reusable resources that store the endpoint and authentication details required to connect to external services. They support a variety of AI/ML services, databases, and other third-party services from major cloud providers and independent vendors. Connections are scoped to your Confluent Cloud environment and region, ensuring secure and isolated access. They support multiple authentication methods, including provider integrations (using IAM roles), managed identities (currently, AWS IAM roles only), API keys, and service accounts. For details, see [Reuse Confluent Cloud Connections With External Services](connections/overview.md#connections-overview). ### Provider integrations Provider integrations enable secure, centralized management of access to cloud service provider resources. For example, you can configure AWS IAM role-based integrations to allow Confluent Cloud services to access AWS resources such as Amazon S3 or Amazon DynamoDB, with full auditability and compliance. Provider integrations offer: - Centralized management of CSP access. - Resource reuse across Confluent Cloud services. - Granular RBAC and audit trails. - REST APIs for automation. For details, see [Integrate with Cloud Service Providers in Confluent Cloud](provider-integrations/overview.md#provider-integrations-overview). ## Related content - [Connect with Confluent for Confluent Cloud](connect-w-confluent.md#connect-w-confluent) - [Integrate with Cloud Service Providers in Confluent Cloud](provider-integrations/overview.md#provider-integrations-overview) - [Reuse Confluent Cloud Connections With External Services](connections/overview.md#connections-overview) - [Flink AI: Real-Time ML and GenAI Enrichment of Streaming Data with Flink SQL on Confluent Cloud](https://www.confluent.io/blog/flink-ai-real-time-ml-and-genai-enrichment-of-streaming-data-with-flink-sql-on-confluent-cloud/) - [How to generate vector embeddings for RAG (GenAI) with Flink SQL in Confluent Cloud](https://developer.confluent.io/confluent-tutorials/gen-ai-vector-embedding/flinksql/)