Here’s a snippet from Dion Hinchcliffe’s Enterprise Web 2.0 blog. I think it’s a really good posting and a great way of categorizing mashup styles.
Remember — an Enterprise Mashup can also fall under any of these categories.
» Is IBM making enterprise mashups respectable? | Enterprise Web 2.0 | ZDNet.com
The 5 styles of mashups Accepting that information, visuals, and software can be remixed and combined at multiple levels in an application stack means that there are (at least) five places that mashups can take place. These five styles are:
- Presentation Mashup: This is the shallowest form of mashup in the sense that underlying data and functionality don’t meet. Information and laout is retrieved and either remix or just placed next to each other. Many of the Ajax desktops today fall into this category and so do portals and other presentation mashup techniques.
- Client-Side Data Mashup: A slight deeper form of mashup is the data mashup which takes information from remote Web services, feeds, or even just plain HTML and combines it with data from another source. New information that didn’t exist before can result such as when addresses are geocoded and display on a map to create a visualization that could exist without the underlying combination of data.
- Client-Side Software Mashup: This is where code is integrated in the browser to result in a distinct new capability. While a component model for the browser is only now being hashed out as part of Open Ajax, there is considerable potential in being able to easily wire together pieces of browser-based software into brand new functionality.
- Server-Side Software Mashup: Recombinant software is probably easier right now on the server since Web services can more easily use other Web services and there are less security restrictions and cross domain issues. As a result, server-side mashups like those that in turn use things like Amazon’s Mechanical Turk or any of the hundreds of open Web APIs currently available, are quite common.
- Server-Side Data Mashup: Databases have been linking and connecting data for decades, and as such, they have relatively powerful mechanisms to join or mashup data under the covers, on the server-side. While it’s still harder to mashup up data across databases from different vendors, products like Microsoft SQL Server increasingly make it much easier to do. This points out that many applications we have today are early forms of mashups, despite the term. Of course, the more interesting and newer aspects of mashups happen above this level.
enterprise2.0,soa,enterprisemashups,enterprise2.0,eai,eii
In his Outside the Box blog, Todd Biske writes about the (lack of) Uptake of Complex Event Processing. He points out several reasons for the lack of uptake — the primary reason being a shift in mindset that has not taken place in most businesses.
Todd goes on to suggest that organizations should start a CEP system just by publishing the events and collecting statistics about events. His suggestion is a very safe and risk-averse approach. It also a suggestion that I disagree with.
Don’t get me wrong, I agree that collecting statistics about your events is important. I don’t agree that just publishing events and then collecting statistics about those events is enough.
Why not publish the events and then throw a little fuel on the fire by letting power users create their own Enterprise Mashups using the events? Why not start creating analytical applications that integrate events, services, from your SOA, and data from your data warehouse? Why not get started using the events now?
Your users will get more value faster if you release services and events to them sooner.
enterprise2.0,soa,enterprisemashups,enterprise2.0,eai,eii
Facebook and Friendster are opening up their APIs so third party developers can create new applications. Apparently MySpace, LinkedIn, and Google are expected to do the same but haven’t made any announcements.
I see this as noteworthy for a couple of reasons.
First, it allows the ever expanding world of mashups to take on a whole new direction. I can already see a truckload of new mashup that integrate the personal information these sites store with other applications (like maps).
Second, the resulting mashups will demonstrate the power of open APIs and SOA to IT departments. Even the most crusty, cranky, old-school IT manager won’t be able to keep his head in the sand when confronted with users who can compose applications as fast as programmers.
Social-Networking Sites Open Up
Technorati Tags: enterprise2.0, mashups, enterprisemashups, web2.0
Tech savvy end users make the best mashups. This is true whether the mashup is an Enterprise Mashup or a standard mashup.
Programmers are generally good at solving problems. Users are generally good at having problems. But putting a user and a programmer together often results in not solving a problem or solving the wrong problem. Communication just seems to get in the way.
That’s why tech savvy end users make the best mashups. The communication barrier is destroyed. The user doesn’t have to teach an IT geek about the problem. She is free to solve her own problem.
Many IT vendors understand this. The smart ones are creating tools that enable non-programmers to create mashups. These new solutions traditionally required programming skills but not anymore. Think Yahoo! Pipes, IBM QEDWiki, and SAP Visual Composer.
Many IT leaders also understand this. The smart ones are creating architectures and infrastructures that enable tech savvy end users to assemble solutions to their own problems. Think SOA, Web Services, and EII.
These leaders are bringing Web2.0 concepts behind the firewall. And it’s a win-win situation.
Technorati Tags: enterprisemashups, mashups, web2.0, enterprise, IT programming, EII, SOA, QEDWiki, YahooPipes, enterprise2.0
Here’s an easy way to stay up-to-date with the latest web videos on any topic you choose.
It’s a simple application that allows you to search for videos on any topic. It uses a variety of search engines and then combines the results into a single RSS feed. I personally use it by entering a search term and then subscribing to the resulting RSS feed.
I created this Pipe using the new Yahoo! Pipes tool. The new Yahoo! Pipes application gives a lot of bang for your buck (especially since it’s free). The tool does leave some things to be desired but overall it’s a pretty good toy. (One big addition I’d like to see is the ability to add my own sources.)
IBM has recently released a similar and more advanced tool called QEDWiki. I’m just getting started with that tool. I think I’ll try to create a similar search feed and then compare the two tools.
If anyone is interested I’ll create a video showing exactly how I created this Pipe and the thinking behind its design. Just leave a comment letting me know what you’d like to see.
As you can see, mashups are the new EII (Enterprise Information Integration).
And with companies like Yahoo! and IBM releasing mashup creation tools the trend
toward decentralized data will only accelerate. Now we just these kind of tools behind the firewall!
Pipes: Video Search RSS Feed
Technorati Tags: mashup web2.0video rss qedwiki pipes YahooPipes
