Gartner Research Featured This Month in Business Integration Journal

Business Wire, Dec 6, 2005

STAMFORD, Conn. -- Timely articles by 12 Gartner analysts on topics in application integration, business process management, Web services and related subjects are featured this month in a Gartner Research Special Edition for the publication Business Integration Journal.

"We are honored once again to present a unique issue of BIJ that features 12 outstanding articles by top Gartner analysts," said Bob Thomas, publisher and editor-in-chief. "Based on the terrific research Gartner is renowned for, each article tackles a topic that is, or should be, of utmost importance to all IT organizations."

The collection of articles in the November-December 2005 issue was organized and edited by David McCoy, vice president and Gartner Fellow and Daryl Plummer, group vice president and chief Gartner Fellow. Mr. Plummer and Mr. McCoy also are regular columnists for BIJ.

"Each contributor has selected a piece of his or her best research to highlight Gartner's depth of coverage and inform readers of the latest thinking in the industry," Mr. Plummer said.

Topics include business process management, business rules engines, adapters, emerging extensible software platforms, metadata management, Web services specifications/standards, portals, service-oriented architecture (SOA) strategies, Web services frameworks, business process platforms, the future of transaction processing, and Gartner's forecast of the IT professional services market for Web services-related efforts.

Business Integration Journal covers software solutions that enable the successful execution of business processes. The monthly publication featured Gartner research contributions previously in its May 2004 issue.

"The Gartner Research Special Edition is entitled 'Elements of Integration' and is the second time in two years that Gartner has showcased its research expertise in mass within Business Integration Journal," Mr. McCoy said. "The cover-story theme is drawn from chemistry since most integration infrastructures are likewise composed of individual components that work best when used in combination and with foresight."

Here is a summary of each Gartner article in the November-December 2005 issue:

What is Metadata and Why You Should Care, by Michael Blechar. Enterprises cannot track and manage all possible metadata. They need policies, procedures, and standards in place that spell out the scope and practices they want enforced. Two of the most common needs for understanding metadata in an organization's computer applications are data warehousing and Service-Oriented Development of Applications (SODA).

Taking Rule Technologies for a Test Drive, by Jim Sinur. Rule technology presents a huge opportunity going forward. The business and IT community's most recent experience with rules has been positive because rules are easy to change and are accessible and responsive. Many organizations are pushing those successes to new levels of cost containment, time-to-market response and competitive advantage.

Six Missteps That Can Result in SOA Strategy Failure, by Daryl Plummer. IT organizations must overcome hype and complexity to avoid several common mistakes in trying to develop successful SOA. Smart IT architects drive SOA discussions to deeper levels of understanding before committing to a strategic SOA framework. This increases their chances for success.

How to Strategically Select Web Services Specifications, by Charles Abrams. As Web services specifications and standards proliferate, select those with the most impact. Take advantage of developed Web services specifications with industry traction. These specifications are standards, are becoming standards or are likely standards candidates. Plan for eventual migration to a final standard when it becomes available.

Adapter Suites Bridge Gaps in Integration Projects, by Benoit Lheureux. Adapter suites are a form of integration middleware that combine design tools, runtime software, and link applications directly to each other or to some other form of middleware. They effectively support simple integration projects or complement other integration middleware. This is a small market segment, well served by innovative vendors. Developers should avoid developing adapters from scratch and consider adapter suites to accelerate IT projects.

The Evolution of Transaction Processing in Light of .NET and J2EE, by Massimo Pezzini. Leading edge companies are beginning a cycle of redevelopment of their core systems to adopt modern architectural paradigms and modern technology platforms such as J2EE and .NET. A hybrid technical architecture that combines J2EE or .NET with traditional platforms often will be a reasonable and viable option through 2009 and beyond for organizations embarking on large-scale modern online transaction processing projects.

Examine Your Process Mentality to Avoid Business Process Management Pitfalls, by David McCoy. Balancing IT and user needs is an old story, but what happens when the tools being used in the project have been acquired with an understanding they support flexibility, rapid updating, agility and other enhanced "tuning" capabilities? If not properly positioned, the potential flexibility of BPM tools can create conflict between development and end-user staff members.