Frends vs TEIS
Every integration change shouldn't require a consultant
Municipalities running TEIS-based integration environments pay for every change, wait for every fix, and rarely have full visibility into their integrations. Frends replaces that dependency with a modern, transparent integration platform your own team can operate, build on and maintain. Up to 75% lower total cost of ownership, integrations delivered in days, and full control kept in-house.
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At a glance
- Up to 75% lower total cost of ownership vs legacy integration services
- New integrations built in-house in 1 to 2 days instead of weeks
- Full visibility through visual process design and live monitoring
- EU-hosted, GDPR-compliant, deployable on-premises or in the cloud
Why municipalities are moving on from TEIS
Every change has a price tag attached to it
In a TEIS environment, new integrations and changes to existing ones typically require external consultants. That means cost per request, lead times measured in days or weeks, and a growing queue of work the internal team cannot move forward on its own. One municipality that moved to Frends had previously been paying around 10,000 SEK per new integration with build times of roughly one week. After switching, their team was building integrations in one to two days.
Your team can't see inside the integrations
Teams working with TEIS environments frequently describe them as opaque. When something breaks, root cause analysis depends on whoever built it originally, and documentation is often incomplete, outdated or held by the vendor. Frends models every integration as a visual BPMN process diagram, so anyone on the team can open a process, understand what it does and troubleshoot it without external help.
File transfers and point-to-point don't support current needs
Most TEIS environments were built around file-based transfers and direct system-to-system connections. That architecture no longer supports the digital transformation municipalities are building toward. Frends replaces legacy point-to-point connections with reusable processes, governed APIs and automation capabilities, all from one secure platform.
Frends vs TEIS: key differences
| Capability | Frends | TEIS |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Visual BPMN process design, cloud, hybrid or on-premises | Legacy file-transfer and point-to-point integration service |
| Visibility and monitoring | Live monitoring, step-by-step execution logs, centralized operational view | Limited visibility, difficult to inspect or debug without vendor involvement |
| Developer dependency | Low-code, operable by your own team | Changes typically require external consultants with long lead times |
| Development speed | 1 to 2 days per integration | Not uncommon for it to be many months via external request |
| Deployment flexibility | Cloud, on-premises or hybrid, EU-hosted infrastructure | Always on-premises with no deployment flexibility, vendor-managed |
| Documentation | Visual BPMN processes serve as living documentation | Often incomplete, hard to access or held by the vendor |
Total cost of ownership
The license cost of a legacy integration service doesn't include the whole picture. In TEIS, building anything outside the base offering requires additional budget with consultant fees for every change request. Internal time spent chasing documentation, debugging opaque flows and waiting on delayed digital initiatives adds up. Municipalities switching from legacy integration services to Frends report up to 75% lower total cost of ownership.
Migration: what the process looks like
The most effective migrations start with an inventory of what exists, what is still needed and what can be retired. A meaningful share of legacy integrations in TEIS environments are no longer business-critical and can be decommissioned rather than migrated.
- Discovery and integration inventory
- Frends deployment
- Phased migration by logical grouping
- Flip-over and retirement of the legacy platform
One important preparation step: gather credentials, certificates, PGP keys, file paths and any available source code early. TEIS environments frequently have documentation gaps that only surface during migration.
Customer story
A Scandinavian municipality previously running TEIS was paying around 10,000 SEK per new integration, with each build taking approximately one week through external consultants. After switching to Frends, their team built dozens of integrations in under six months, with build times reduced to one to two days. Across the organization, the shift to in-house integration development is estimated to save hundreds of hours per month.
While in TEIS one integration simply moves something from one place to another, a process in Frends can include multiple integrations and feed systems, databases and reports without the need for any manual work.
Frequently asked questions
What is TEIS and why are municipalities replacing it?
TEIS is a legacy integration service from Tietoevry widely used in Swedish municipalities for file-based and point-to-point system integrations. Organizations are moving away from it because changes require external consultants, visibility into integrations is limited, and the architecture does not support automated workflows.
What does it cost to replace TEIS with Frends?
The migration cost depends on the number of integrations, how well they are documented, and which delivery model the municipality chooses. Frends offers DIY, co-operation and managed service models. Municipalities that have completed the migration report up to 75% lower total cost of ownership.
Is cost the only benefit when migrating from TEIS to Frends?
No. When migrating from TEIS to Frends, the number of integrations is usually halved. Teams also unlock automation and AI capabilities, and system owners gain full management of processes, including connecting legacy systems and AI clients with governance through MCP capabilities.
How long does a TEIS migration take?
Timeline depends on scope. A structured migration starting with an inventory and phased flip-over by logical groupings is more effective than a full simultaneous migration.
Can our own team operate Frends?
Yes. Frends uses a visual BPMN process designer and low-code configuration that IT teams can learn, with onboarding support, certification programs and an online academy.
Is Frends suitable for European public sector compliance requirements?
Yes. Frends runs on EU-hosted infrastructure, supports on-premises and hybrid deployment for strict data residency requirements, and is designed with GDPR compliance built in.