Enterprise application integration (EAI) enables the unrestricted, seamless, and automatic real-time sharing of data and business processes throughout the organization.
Early systems in areas like inventory control, human resources, sales automation and database management were designed to run independently, with no interaction between systems. They were custom-built in the technology of the day to perform a specific function, and were often proprietary systems. As enterprises grow and recognize the need and advantages of sharing and transferring data automatically among their information systems, EAI lets them streamline processes and integrate all the elements of the enterprise.