The information integration approach to e-business enablement operates at a slightly lower level than business rules integration. Information integration is relatively inexpensive and generally does not require many changes to the participating systems. As such, it is often the first step with most e-business projects. Message brokers, data replication engines, and data migration engines all take the information integration approach. Process integration to e-business enablement provides a set of processes that function above both business rules and information integration.
Process integration is unlike traditional middleware.
In actuality, it is a process model that resides on top of middleware and provides both logical and physical information flows over existing business systems. Process integration is important to e-business because it provides an abstract business layer that exists over the physical plumbing, a layer that allows process integration tool users to map out the logical flow of information between systems within the same enterprise. Collaboration typically means providing a geographically dispersed workgroup with the opportunity to share messages and other information in real time to support a business need. Applications include customer relationship management, online customer service, and virtual product development. Collaboration's great strength is its ability to support virtual communities of participating humans and computers.