Tools for real-time business integration and collaboration

Business integration platforms (a.k.a. middleware), enable companies to improve integration of information systems, integration with partners, automation of business processes and workflow, and real-time visibility into the operations. Middleware is an important component in building a flexible, scalable, fault tolerant, secure, standards-based, IT architecture. It reduces application development and maintenance costs, and it allows best-of-breed application deployment where systems can be expanded incrementally by plugging in new applications into a message bus. As such, it positions utilities to manage business structure and business process changes introduced by wholesale and retail deregulation. More than 100 utilities and two ISOs have already acquired middleware, and many have successfully applied it. Applications include back-office applications integration, trade floor applications integration, integration with energy exchanges, eProcurement, retail applications integration, and T&D midoffice integration. Reported experiences have been very positive. Applications of middleware to real-time control and distributed resources integration are yet to come.