Mashups

Source: Forrester TechRadar™: Enterprise Web 2.0

Definition: Mashup Web applications combine multiple, disparate data sources into something new and unique. Mashup platforms allow nontechnical users to create and consume their own mashups with visual tools.

Usage Scenario: In their most basic form, mashups within the enterprise become easily architected and developed rich Internet applications; however, this usage scenario greatly undersells the value of mashups. Enterprises can use mashup platforms to allow individual business users, or more likely business analysts, to create highly customized process- and context-specific applications, dashboards, and portals. In this scenario, mashups allow the business an economical way to obtain highly relevant applications even when only a small number of users might ever use them.

Estimated cost to implement: The average enterprise mashup deployment cost ranges from $50,000 to $300,000 for the mashup platform, and the cost can grow quickly as external data services are added. This does not take into account internal enterprise service creation — often an SOA implementation — which is not a prerequisite for mashups but is highly recommended.