An agent based approach to enterprise application integration

The integration of applications within an enterprise is not a new concept. Since the early 1990s, companies used Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to solve the problem of integration. However, ERP systems almost never solve all issues within an organization therefore there are a number of co-existing applications. The task now is to create logical links between these disparate applications and create a unified set of business processes; this is the role of Enterprise Application Integration (EAI). EAI is a buzzword used to describe this task that has been taking place for years. However, now more than ever more emphasis is being put on EAI so that applications can access information and processes freely, both within one organization and across multiorganizations. It is estimated that 1/3 of the average IT budget is spent on linking systems together, therefore a packaged, "off the shelf", EAI solution is sorely needed.