Standards emerge for integration projects

Application interoperability should get easier, following the launch by the Integration Consortium (formerly the EAI Industry Consortium) of Release One of its Global Integration Framework (GIF). GIF is a resource for simplifying system interoperability and streamlining integration using best practices and IT from functioning business systems across multiple vendors. The model has been in development for the last two years, focusing on a software vendor-neutral architecture and framework created by users for users. Steve Craggs, European chairman of the Integration Consortium, says the initiative has now moved beyond discussion, definition and White Papers, to the point where “it can provide move value to members and the market.” He adds: “GIF will emerge as a standard: it provides tools and assets to get better integration jobs done.” Which give some clue to why development has been done at the cost of the participants – there’s a lot to be gained from sharing and the long-term support of standards. In brief, GIF provides project methodologies, a lexicon of building blocks and definitions, as well as loadable templates for business operations. There’s also a repository of specifications from vendor packages to assist with interfaces. “We all know integration is a bit of a bugger,” says Craggs, “but the GIF will significantly reduce the time and cost of projects. We’re looking at savings of anywhere between 20 and 50% of time to build projects, and similar reductions in costs.” “Combine that with efficient use of resources who are appropriately trained and accredited, [and] this is very appealing to businesses around the world,” adds Michael Kuhbock, world-wide chairman. “Industry studies have pegged the cost of integration at 35% or more of the total cost of IT projects.” John Schmidt, IS leader at Best Buy, chairman of the Consortium’s Methodology Committee, led the effort to select the initial GIF components and assemble the organisations and team members who will participate in the next phase. “The GIF is a tremendous breakthrough in industry and end-user collaboration,” says Schmidt. “We need to stop the ‘standards wars’ and restore confidence in the business community that the IT Industry can indeed solve the interoperability challenges.”