10 trends to watch.

By Bill Spaide

This technology allows a company to link applications — even those coded in different programming languages — both internally and with those of its customers and suppliers via the Internet, in much the same way Web pages are linked together.

For example, using this technology a catalog company will find it much easier to integrate its order-management application with a CRM or WMS package from another supplier. Also, this technology will facilitate the establishment of remote call centers, warehouses and de-centralized marketing/merchandising departments.