Everybody agrees that data integration is a difficult task. But could it ever be accomplished via SaaS (Software as a Service), with integration services being provided online?Pervasive Software believes it can. The company in the next 12 months plans to offer integration via a SaaS model, said Mike Hoskins, chief technology officer at Pervasive.He served on a panel at the OpSource SaaS Summit 2007 event Thursday that discussed SaaS in the enterprise and integrating it with behind-the-firewall systems. Panelists acknowledged this is a tough subject. One audience member, meawhile, recalled an incident in which a friend of his recently wanted to integrate with a SaaS application. “What came in the door was a CD with 10 consultants,” the audience member said. He then asked if integration would ever be offered as a service. “The short answer is, yes, there will be integration as a service,” but the endpoints almost always involve some legacy applications behind the firewall, Hoskins said.Afterward, he noted Pervasive’s SaaS plans will include integration. He had called integration around SaaS “a huge opportunity” during the panel session. Software Development