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Technology: Is Software Integration Always Necessary?
The need to integrate software is often taken as a given. The benefits from connecting silo-ed repositories and databases can often dramatically increase productivity and consistency of data — and those benefits are very compelling.
SOA and Web Service technology provide the tools to unite data and information from just about any application. But just because integrations are possible (and getting easier to undertake) doesn’t mean that they should be pursued. Integration strategies can be taken too far — to the point where the costs far outweigh any benefit that will be derived.
Gartner Research Director Thomas Otter recently questioned the drive many organizations are feeling to integrate all systems. He questions:
“What is integrated with what? What is the purpose of the integration? What value does the integration bring? What overhead does the integration create?
Once you know what is integrated, you can rationally assess the value of integration. Integration can be of significant value, it can help break silos, reduce data capture and improve data quality.
But integration can be an excuse not to move quickly, it can hinder innovation and create overhead, it can be a reason not to do something new…
When evaluating software view integration rationally, don’t put it on a pedestal, but don’t dismiss it. Understand clearly what is being integrated, and what the value of that integration is. Integration doesn’t trump functionality. Without the right functionality, integration is not worth much.
But also beware of those that say integration is easy to do.”
