Q2. Why is the perception getting stronger that integration will become a critical factor in coming days?...

Q2. Why is the perception getting stronger that integration will become a critical factor in coming days? What is the role of AJAX within the enterprise software architecture?

Answer:

Integration means System integration is the bringing together of the component subsystems into one system and ensuring that the subsystems function together as a system. Or Digital integration is the idea that data or information on any given electronic device can be read or manipulated by another device using a standard format. Or Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) is defined as the use of software and computer systems architectural principles to integrate a set of enterprise computer applications. (Wikipedia, 2009)

Anyway, in my opinion, Integration is that small systems can form a large system so information within small systems can be shared or exchanged.

Integration becomes a critical factor since Integration can...

• Provides users with the ability to manipulate legacy data.
• Provides users with the ability to take advantage of familiar software to use known assets and resources.
• Provides users with the ability to acquire and easily maintain new data.
• Provides users with the ability to use existing data management tools to access data wherever it is located. (IBM.com, 2009)
  

And Integrated data provides a framework that helps organizations:

• Deliver a complete view of a customer
• Offload the processing burden on operational systems
• Standardize business processes and data definitions
• Combine current and past values from disparate sources in order to see the big picture (BusinessObjects.com, 2009)
  

The role of AJAX within the enterprise software architecture is that

• Development times and costs are slashed dramatically, as companies take advantage of the re-usability of services as well as the ability to avoid the problems inherent in thick client deployments.
• The ability to use the same interface technology regardless of user location or platform. Since AJAX is platform agnostic, it works regardless of what the user is on, be it Windows, Linux or the Mac. This makes deployment much simpler, as well as guaranteeing that the entire user population has access to the same rich interactive services.
• Companies implementing AJAX in an service-oriented architecture framework can finally use the full interactive capabilities of services without having to deal with the constraints of Web browsers. AJAX RIAs provide Web-based applications that function as well or better than traditional desktop interfaces. (Quinn, 2007)
  

Reference:

1. Wikipedia (2009). "Integration". Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, Retrieved Mar-17th-2009 from URL - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_integration, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_integration and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_application_integration
2. IBM.com (2009). "DB2 Universal Database". IBM.com, Retrieved Mar-17-2009 from URL - http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/db2luw/v8/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.db2.ii.doc/ad/ciiwhyen.htm
3. BusinessObjects.com (2009). "Data_Integration". Business Objects, Retrieved Mar-17th-2009 from URL - http://www.businessobjects.com/global/pdf/whitepapers/data_integration.pdf
4. Quinn Mathew (2007). "AJAX: Bringing SOA to the Front Lines". SOA Magazine, Retrieved Mar-17th-2009 from URL - http://www.soamag.com/I3/0107-1.asp