Enterprise application integration

In the December 2000 issue of InfoPro, Bob Tillman, director of public relations and government advocacy for ARMA International, wrote of a visible future where new business models include modular corporations, outsourcing, and network relationships: "Modular relationships provide firms with greater flexibility, a more rapid response to market changes, a greater competitiveness in the short run, and less risky innovations. It is a future in which systems built to change are more valuable than systems built to last."

Enterprise application integration (EAI) is a kind of technological Velcro, enabling computer systems to accommodate such change. EAI allows diverse systems to connect with one another quickly to share data, communications, and processes, alleviating the information silos that plague many businesses. The benefits of assimilating new systems without prolonged programming efforts are apparent following merger and acquisition activity. EAI solutions provide a way to connect the systems of collaborators, partners, and others for as long as necessary, decoupling when the relationship ends. EAI is, in essence, the soluble glue for the modular corporation.