Making systems talk to each other is a powerful way of expanding a website - to offer more to customers, speed up processing and reduce costs.

Integration Overview

Most projects we undertake involve integrating php based websites with other systems. The reasons for doing so are varied but most work has the intention of automating a process that would have to be done either offline or with a delay. The whole point of the Internet as an end-user is to allow users to perform tasks simply and as quickly as possible. APIs are cross platform - any system can use them regardless of operating system or language.

Basic Requirements

Integration is achieved by information exchange. There are various protocols for this - APIs use XML to talk to each other. Another acronym is SOAP - it's all roughly the same thing. Data is formatted into XML, sent to a service and a return is received. Or the project maybe to create an API of your own, to allow others to interact with your system.

Examples of Integration

• Selling digital music online
• Taking payments without customers leaving our site
• Adding an order straight into a client's back-office system
• Validating bank accounts
• Sending and receiving SMS text messages

Further examples and details are found on the list of integration systems on the right.

So how do we go about integrating our site or system?

With the right code, security and system access, integration between a website and other systems can be achieved. The first stage is usually a talk about the systems that need to be integrated - often they provide a manual or technical document, which can be used to gauge a project and its requirements

If you have an idea for a project involving this type of technology, get in touch.