Interoperability and Application Compatibility

Understanding interoperability, compatibility, and integration

Although interoperability, compatibility, and integration are related, they are not the same:

Interoperability includes the compatibility and integration needed for software applications and environmental components to meet business requirements
Compatibility is the ability of IT components to operate in a specified environment
Integration is the ability of applications to seamlessly exchange data and orchestrate workflows

Interoperability challenges

Technology stacks change quickly, and sometimes applications and systems that used to work together just don’t anymore. This can slow or even stop productivity. If the resolution requires a patch or an upgrade to an application, that can get expensive and labor-intensive, incurring costs for regression testing and user training.

Interoperability issues can occur with any number of IT components including:

Operating systems: Due to updates for security, compliance, support, or other reasons
Browsers: Due to frequent updates, often for security purposes, and made more complex by the number of browsers that an organization supports for its users
Email: Due to platform changes that can happen at any time, which can break workflows that include email
Business applications: Due to changes in business requirements, data elements, or application programming interfaces (APIs)

Does interoperability really matter?

Yes, it does. In today’s diverse and quickly changing software environments, interoperability issues can adversely affect any industry, organization, customer, partner, or employee, potentially causing:

Disruption
Instability
Significant expense

Most enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are stable, compliant, and highly customized. However, they are only tested and certified according to the vendor’s published compatibility matrix. That can be very limiting, particularly when the lifespan of an application is several years and the IT environment is changing all around it.

Fortunately, there’s a solution that makes interoperability issues a thing of the past, so that your best-fit applications, databases, browsers, operating systems, and tech stack components can keep working together, now and into the future, without patches or upgrades.

Solve interoperability, compatibility, and integration challenges with Rimini Connect™

Rimini Connect™, our revolutionary suite of interoperability products and solutions changes the game, resolving interoperability issues among diverse applications, databases, and tech stack components outside of application code. Our unique, comprehensive approach:

Eliminates time-consuming patches and upgrades
Frees your IT budget — and your team — from expensive vendor-imposed roadmaps
Helps extend the life of existing systems
Reduces risk
Facilitates organizational productivity
Helps extend the life of existing systems
Enables best-fit technologies
Supports your unique IT roadmap and innovation priorities

Rimini Connect solutions include:

Featured resources:

Learn more about Rimini Connect, Rimini Connect for Browsers, Rimini Connect for OS, and Rimini Connect for Email.

Datasheet

Enterprise software environments are getting more complex, with an increase in the deployment of purpose-built applications to meet the needs of various functions and lines of business. This situation is leading to an explosion of compatibility and integration challenges such as making applications work together in common environments, sharing data and processes, and providing consistent […]

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