Middleware - what is it?
Middleware is a generic term for an application -
a program running on a computer - that provides a link
between two different systems. The middleware is an
interface that knows how to talk to both systems and
so can be used to move business information between
them.
The unique feature of middleware is that neither of
the end systems being joined need to be altered to accommodate
the interface.
Middleware in action
You may run an in-house financial system and want to
make some summary information available to many people
in your company. You want to restrict what each person
can see - maybe segmented by the department the viewer
is in.
One solution may be run run off individual reports
for each person and send them the results by paper or
e-mail. The reports could be huge. They may take a lot
of time and resources to run. You would also be e-mailing
a lot of information that the users may not want to
see - perhaps they only need to dip into the system
to look at the status of an order.
Middleware would allow this information to be created
'on the fly' - as and when the users request it. The
middleware can translate the information into a web-based
interface so it can be viewed on any web browser. Links
would allow the user to drill-down into any item
in their report or click-through to see more
details.
The middleware could get its information live from
the existing financial system - without having to change
any part of that system - or it could extract what it
needs from an off-line report run each night. It could
also use a combination of the two - an off-line report
to get the top-level summaries and a live link to look
at the current status.
The web interface could request a username and password
before allowing access to the data - you would then
be confident that users could only see what they are
permitted to see.
How can Academe Computing help you with middleware?
We design, produce and support bespoke software. That
means we can create a middleware application specific
to your needs.
If we can find a product that will do the job off-the-shelf
then we will be pleased to recommend that to you first
- there is no point reinventing any product that may
already have a proven track-record. We will of course
be able to configure that product for you, to integrate
it into your IT infrastructure and we will support that
product for as long as you need it.
If it is a turnkey solution you are after - if you
want to support the software yourself - then we will
provide all the necessary training and written manuals
that you would need.
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