If you were to look at the number of new businesses that emerge every month – especially web based enterprises then you would be right to assume that starting a business is not so hard. Given the type of business integration software available today, you can set up your business in a week and with the right strategy be profitable in a month. This ease with which such feats are possible today is not to be taken for granted though; it was definitely not the ‘norm’ just ten years ago.

The technological dark ages, as they were made it infinitely harder to get things done. Not to say that the tasks we hardly pay attention to today were extremely hard, it was simply harder and took much longer to start up and make profits. With everything having to be done manually or (if you were the lucky sort) with the aid of legacy applications software, efficiency as well as accuracy were often compromised. The turn of the century though and rapid developments in technology brought with them a set of business integration software applications that could be used to perform repetitive tasks and thus halve the amount of time and energy the manager had to spend on them. Thus leaving the manager with ample time and resources, to focus on strategies and growth tactics aimed at making the business more profitable.

When starting up a business there are a lot of things to take into account. While most people simply focus on licensing, financing and the final product, it is also imperative to consider aspects such as the business integration software system that will run the enterprise.  Given the role and responsibilities of your operating system it should be considered a major asset to the business and treated as such. Many business owners and managers typically buy random COTS and SOA software, under the false impression that ‘one size fits all’. This however is a fallacious assumption that could end up causing you more trouble in the long run.

While choosing the best business integration software for your start-up business you must take several factors into account. Firstly, what type of enterprise are you running? This will determine the software that you purchase. Secondly, what are your immediate needs upon start-up? The reality is that software is expensive. Rather than purchase a package full of applications that you might not need until five years down the line, its better to buy for the here and now. Especially since five years in technology can be like the difference between stone-age and modern times. In some cases you may even need custom software development, thus planning appropriately for it will help you afford the type of business integration software applications that you need.

In cases where you may have taken over a going concern with pre-installed IT systems, you may consider legacy software migration or modernization as opposed to a complete overhaul of your systems. This is not only cheaper than starting from scratch but you also get the benefit of previously stored knowledge. When purchasing software always remember to go for what you need, in terms of what will afford you the greatest benefit.