Playing the Standards Game

Now that we are closing out our discussion of standards, we can look back and see that the number of standards, even redundant standards, is as complex and difficult to understand as the array of application integration products on the market today. The trick is to understand their value, size up their market viability, and see if there is a strategic fit into your problem domain. Then, you must find products that support them.

Remember, standards are not products or solutions. They simply provide a common data format, process mechanisms, or service-based framework that many people can agree upon. Application integration products, such as application servers and integration servers, are where the rubber meets the road. How they support a standard that is strategic to your situation should be examined, along with other application integration mechanisms they provide. This rule goes for all standards reviewed in this section of the book.

This is not to say that standards are always helpful. Clearly, they are not. Some can lead you down dead-end streets as standards lose momentum and die. Some may not provide all of the functionality you need, and thus prolong the time it takes to complete an application integration project. Sometimes they only serve to complicate your application integration solution.

Still, it's important that we have standards, and continue to promote and develop the ones that make sense. By doing this, we can easily exchange information, processes, and services, without having to do close coordination between enterprises or departments. The real payoff is years away, but the investment must be made today.



Next Generation Application Integration(c) From Simple Information to Web Services
Next Generation Application Integration: From Simple Information to Web Services
ISBN: 0201844567
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 220

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