EAI Industry Consortium defines Best of Breed Characteristics for the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB)

London, UK (PRWEB) June 18, 2003 -- The EAI (Enterprise Application Integration) Industry Consortium today announced the release of a new White Paper which explores the latest development to take place within the EAI market; the introduction of the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB), a flexible, productive and robust standards-based solution to integration needs. The White Paper outlines the principles of this new concept and investigates what key characteristics should feature in a 'best of breed ESB.

Business integration continues to be one of the top IT concerns for many companies. The main focus is on achieving this integration quickly and effectively while at the same time maintaining attractive levels of return on investment. Integration approaches have been refined over the last ten years, resulting in the emergence of architectures that offer a flexible and adaptable platform for integration while at the same time making high levels of application component reuse possible.

ESBs offer an excellent basis for integration, delivering a flexible and adaptable environment that enables integration projects to be put in place productively, effectively and in a staged manner. They leverage many of the developments made in integration technology over the last ten years, packaging them in a standards-based and affordable approach. It is therefore essential that a thorough selection process is in place when choosing the most suitable ESB.

The author of the paper, Steve Craggs, EAIIC Vice Chair for Europe, comments This ESB paper is the first in a series of research articles that will investigate the latest initiatives occurring in the EAI industry. By writing these from an independent standpoint we aim to provide end-users with a no-nonsense checklist of best-of-breed characteristics and functionality. We hope that companies will use the checklist as part of the product selection process to ensure that the ESB can become a key element of integration strategy; this can provide real business value to organisations looking to operate and compete more efficiently and effectively."

To download the complimentary executive summary or to find out more about this White Paper, please visit http://www.eaiindustry.org/page.php?content=whitepapers

About the EAI Industry Consortium
The EAI Industry Consortium is a non-profit global advocacy group developed to promote EAI and all related integration technologies through sponsored research, the establishment of standards and guidelines, best practices, and the articulation of EAIs strategic and measurable benefits. EAI Industry Consortiums motto is Dedicated to the Quest for Measurable Business Value."

The strategic mission of the member-driven EAI Industry Consortium is simple: We are unifying and developing a common understanding within the industry, educating and informing the marketplace, and introducing and promoting integration technologies.

Among the sectors represented in the EAI Industry Consortium membership are independent software vendors (ISVs), hardware vendors, system integrators, academic institutions, end user corporations, non-profit institutions and individual members, as well as various industry leaders. Information on the EAI Industry Consortium is available at www.eaiindustry.org or by sending e-mail to information@eaiindustry.org.