Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) - Guide to Cloud Computing for Business and Technology Managers - page 93

4.1.1.4 Interoperability
The ability of disparate applications working together is considered one of
the most important characteristics of an Enterprise Application Architecture.
Companies typically integrate business solutions from different software
vendors, Starting from e-mail clients to intranet portals, finance manage-
ment systems, supply chain management software, customer relationship
management systems, and so on. Furthermore, companies are experiencing
continuous changes (takeovers, mergers or restructures, and even splits). All
this and the fact that the lifetime of software is limited force CIOs to plan for
a transition phase in order to adapt to these changes. Software has to be built
in a way to accommodate these inevitable changes and ensure interoperabil-
ity with other applications.
Current software designs aim to address interoperability by provid-
ing flexible and extendable solutions. Monolithic software solutions
and legacy applications were connected via proprietary communication
protocols. This approach makes the enterprise depend on the solutions
developed by a single vendor. Hence, enterprises are responding to the
availability of open and flexible solutions. Many IT companies includ-
ing IBM, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, and BEA are now providing a
whole arsenal of software based on standard interfaces enabling seamless
integration.
4.1.1.5 Security
Security is playing an increasing role in current enterprises (see Section
19.1.2 “Security”). Companies are dedicating special resources to protect
themselves from this growing threat. Mistakes done in this area often
not only cause direct financial losses but can also have dramatic impact
on the reputation and the value and trust of the company, especially for
companies handling sensitive personal data, such as insurance, financial,
and medical companies. Even the partial loss of sensitive data can put
such companies out of business as soon as the customers start losing their
trust. This is one reason why in the current Basel III Accord of the Bank
of International Settlements, the security concept of a company is evalu-
ated to assign a risk level and ultimately affect the credit ranking of the
c o mpa ny.
An enterprise faces three different kinds of threats:
1. Attacks against personal- and customer-related data like medical
records
2. Attacks against company goods like confidential contracts, licenses,
or detailed business objectives
3. Attacks to abuse the company infrastructure in order to run illegal
businesses like file sharing with pirate copies, for instance