title: Too much middleware
abstract: The movement from client-server computing to multi-tier computing has created a potpourri of so-called middleware systems, including application servers, workflow products, EAI systems, ETL systems and federated data systems. We argue that the explosion in middleware has created a myriad of poorly integrated systems with overlapping functionality. The world would be well served by considerable consolidation, and we present some of the ways this might happen. Some of the points covered in the article have been previously explored by P. Bernstein (1996)
keyphrases: client-server computing multi-tier computing middleware systems application servers workflow products EAI systems ETL systems federated data systems poorly integrated systems overlapping functionality