1
C H A P T E R 1
Enterprise Application
Integration
E
NTERPRISE
computing has progressed enormously in just the last few years.
Especially with the advent of the Web, not only is it possible for diverse organiza-
tions to automate and integrate their businesses and computer operations, it is imper-
ative that they do so. Suddenly, as more and more corporations become Web-
enabled and find themselves relying on a myriad of applications, the ability to
evolve and integrate existing applications becomes significant.
Virtually all enterprise organizations at some time face the problem of integrat-
ing different applications and database systems. In addition, enterprise organiza-
tions must constantly evolve. This need to evolve occurs as enterprises strive for
competitive advantages. In today’s economy, it is rare for an organization to con-
tinue to be successful by merely maintaining the status quo. In a sense, enterprises
are forced to evolve to stay at the forefront of their industries. Enterprises fre-
quently find themselves having to merge with other enterprises, reorganizing their
internal structure, and adopting new technologies and platforms as they strive for
competitive advantages. More and more, they are adopting an eBusiness strategy.
The failure of the “dot-com” business-to-consumer (B2C) economy has not
affected the need for traditional enterprises to adopt an eBusiness strategy.
Enterprises still consider the eBusiness model to be an effective medium. The
eBusiness model is particularly useful for managing purchasing and supply-chain
issues, managing customer relationships and providing customer service, and pro-
viding Web-based applications and services. (An example of such a Web-based
service is an online customer service application for bill payment and present-
ment.) Since it is imperative that enterprises adapt to business and technology-
driven changes, they need an eBusiness model more than ever to adapt their exist-
ing business processes, applications, and enterprise system