Enterprise systems integration involves connecting disparate applications to produce unified functionality. There are different levels of integration maturity from point-to-point connections that require more maintenance over time, to integration tiers/middleware that standardize communication but have higher costs. The most advanced approach is service-oriented architecture (SOA) which defines services with standardized contracts to enable reuse and composite applications. Main architectural solutions for integration include message-oriented middleware with brokers, and business process management engines. Technical options cover messaging platforms and business process tools.