"Linthicum provides an insightful overview of the services-integration issues that will enable you to capitalize on current and future integration technologies. He also dives deep into the key Web services technologies for implementing the next generation integration architecture. Highly recommended for those thinking of moving from traditional EAI to Web services."
-Dr. Ravi Kalakota, CEO, E-Business StrategiesAuthor of Services Blueprint: Roadmap for Execution

For a majority of businesses, application integration is an outright failure. Most companies' computer systems are labyrinthine at best and self-destructive at worst. With the arrival of Web services, the new service-oriented middleware technology standard, and increasingly complex and challenging problem domains, it's time to take application integration to the next level.

In Next Generation Application Integration distributed computing and application-integration expert David S. Linthicum describes the effect that this new generation of middleware will have on traditional application-integration efforts. Using key industry examples and case studies, Linthicum reveals the techniques and practices that are necessary to revolutionize data-sharing for any company-from sole-proprietorship to Fortune 500.

In this book you'll find a thorough discussion of today's most advanced application-integration concepts, approaches, technologies, and solutions. Written with the technical manager and enterprise architect in mind, this book addresses essential application integration issues such as:

• Strategies for dealing with complex problem domains

• Forward-looking approaches to ensure long-term solutions that are right for your company

• Techniques for implementation of new Web services middleware

• Introductions to the appropriate technologies for next generation application integration

• Scenarios for Web services integration

• Support concepts outlined by case studies and real-world examples

• Descriptions and analyses of the different types of Web service integration--standards, implementation, and enabling technology

• Full analysis of Web services and integration, including the relationship between EAI and Web services

• How to leverage both vertical and horizontal application-integration standards

If you're responsible for managing or implementing application-integration middleware, Next Generation Application Integration will prove to be an indispensable resource.