Integration:

Most of today’s integration solutions focus on message based integration, typically XML messages. Examples of this include technologies like SOAP, WS* and Service Oriented Architectures as a whole, as well as products like BizTalk that provide message interchange, routing and processing. Message based integration definitely has its place: allowing disparate systems to be integrated in a loosely coupled way.

However sometimes it is possible to integrate systems at a lower level, the data level. This type of integration requires at least read access to the database, but has massive benefits. You basically get more bang for your bucks. This type of integration is particularly viable for internal business solutions or departmental solutions, i.e. in situations where one IT person has the access to all required databases.

It is important to understand that data-layer integration tools can often be used as the foundation for creating Service Orientated Architectures too. Simply by integrating what you can at the data-layer you make it easier for developers quickly create powerful services too.

Base4 is ideal for providing data-layer integration and making it easy for developers to create Service Oriented Architectures on top of that foundation.

Simply by referencing an existing Schema in a declarative fashion, your new application becomes integrated with that old application.