Traditional integration methods require coding or interfacing at the application's unique API (Application Programming Interface) level. This integration is a complex and tedious task for developers and increases exponentially as the number of legacy applications increases.

As the President and CTO of Dharma Systems, a supplier of e-business integration technologies, I encounter companies in this situation all the time. Consider the example of a company called Atomic USA.

Cross-country application
Atomic USA is the U.S. subdivision of the second largest ski manufacturer in the world. The company manufactures and markets alpine skis, boots, and ski bindings, as well as cross-country skis, under the Atomic brand. Atomic ski equipment is manufactured in Altenmarkt, Austria, and the company boasts offices all over the world. The United States headquarters are located in Amherst, New Hampshire. You can see some of their products in use in Figure A.

FIGURE A

Skiers all over the world make use of Atomic ski equipment. Click picture for a larger image.

The company needed a way to improve efficiency by allowing its regional representatives to take orders and check order status and inventory while on the road. The IT department of Atomic USA developed a sales force automation application called ePad, shown in Figure B, for the Palm operating system. The ePad can be connected to a modem to allow Atomic salespeople to enter orders, check inventory, calculate rolling discounts, and transmit the information to an SQL (Structured Query Language) system housed in their headquarters.

FIGURE B

ePad allows users to check inventory, calculate rolling discounts, and transmit the information to an SQL system. Click picture for a larger image.

Before Atomic developed ePad, the mobile sales force had to either dial into the intranet or transmit weekly inventory and sales reports via fax. The process was tedious and paper intensive. The development of ePad allowed for streamlined administrative and sales operations.