The deployment was done rapidly by a four-man integration teamexperienced in workflow and J2EE. The initial billing application, forinstance, took only 60 days to deploy. BEA's standards-based approachswung IP Communications' choice in its favour. "It means I can hiredevelopers who know the [J2EE] standard. We've been using BEA'sWebLogic Server since 1998, and the experience had been a successfulone, so the progression into the integration suite was natural," Barrysays. The WebLogic Integration product had the capability to translateXML transactions to EDI , and vice versa, through an adapter fromPeregrine Systems Inc.

IP Communications' ROIROI, in terms of productivity improvement, isstaggering. Before, it needed 13 people to handle 50 to 100 orders aday. With the billing integration, which achieved 99 percent flowthrough, this has been reduced to one person. Before the B2Bintegration with Southwestern Bell, 20 people were required to enterorders. Now, with 98 percent flow through, only one is needed. Thistranslates to a 522 percent return on investment. Payback was attainedin only 10 weeks. Other benefits have accrued: transaction errors havebeen reduced, and so has time to delivery, from 45 to 15days. Alles zu ROI auf CIO.de

Its two projects have taught IP Communications a lesson or two aboutintegration. "Integration never stops. Applications will come and go.I believe my billing system, for instance, will be discarded in fouryears," says Barry. IP Communications overcame this uncertainty byimplementing the J2EE-based integration infrastructure through whichall communications will flow. "Once we've standardised on onetechnology, and gotten it implemented, we can evaluate new techniquesand technologies as we evolve," he adds.

As processes drive people and technology, it is important to definebusiness processes first, prompting IPCommunications to call it"Enterprise Process Integration" instead of EAI. Barry advises:"Always focus on process - rather than application - integration, andwork your way down. If a component is designed well in C++, chancesare, it will operate just as well as if it's designed well in Java. Soalways select technology second." Integration solutions should also beused in multiple ways, ranging from process, application and B2Bintegration to EAI and collaboration. "It is key that developersunderstand the platform's capabilities and work on leveraging it. Forus, we hope every process utilises our integration infrastructure oneday," he says.

For any IT project to work, it is also important for IS to have inmind a project sponsor from the business unit. "I got my sponsor'sattention when I told her how I could reduce operational headcountfrom 20 to one. She realised [the project] was important and herpeople supported it. It takes a lot of communication to make yourbusiness sponsor realise what you are trying to accomplish," saysBarry.