The Challenge

Integration iisnot a simple challenge.  In fact, the reason why integration has become a major IT undertaking and is frequently unsuccessful is because organisations try to solve all integration problems with a single piece of technology.

The following are a summary of typical “types” of integration types:

• Real Time Messaging
• Business Process Management
• Batch & Data synchronisation (ETL)

Unfortunately, it is not as simple as looking at a business problem and labelling it as one of the three types; it is often a combination.  For example, a web page that gathers information real time needs to update a backend system that can only accept data via a batch import into an interface table.  This would require a combination of real time messaging and batch technologies.

In instances where one technology is used to solve this type of problem, one of the other requirements would suffer.  If a batch tool is used, then you would not get the benefit of real time messaging.

And the technology is only the first challenge these types of projects face.  To implement a truly enterprise wide integration solution that has the architecture to support the delivery of consistent interfaces and centralised operations, an architecture project must be undertaken before any actual interfaces can be built.  If this is not done, the organisation faces problems down the track that will affect operational reliability and continually cost the organisation money.