Mash-ups--the formation of a new online application from two or more Web applications or data streams blended together--are enabling people with no programming experience to create software
tailored to specific purposes. Mash-ups were originally born for recreational purposes, but many businesses have embraced the concept to derive new business opportunities.
For
example, you may have one organization link their customer data with Google Maps to identify their geographical market penetration, while another aggregates statistical data from their accounting or
planning solutions into a centralized dashboard.
Two examples of mashup tools are Liferay, an open source Java portal, and IBM's growing library of "portlets" used in creating mash-ups
(such as their Google Gadgets portlet). With tools like these, a business gets an easy-to-deploy framework that provides a foundation for building mash-ups, says Mark Lynd, president of business
software company Firescope.
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