Interfaced Systems
It can be seen that there is often a genuine business reason for passing data between systems and this has traditionally been done by interfacing the systems. Interfacing is the means by which one independent system connects and/or interacts with another by passing data across a boundary between the two. Interfacing is usually an easier option (and can overcome the hurdle of different hardware platforms etc) but still has its own challenges and requires careful planning.
With very careful organisation and perhaps some software development and/or data conversion, interfacing is possible even if the two systems operate on different hardware, and their timing, processes, development languages, database management systems and database structures are different and, consequently, incompatible.
Extra testing and training will still be required to check that each interface works correctly and to enable users to understand and operate the interaction between the two systems.
Interoperable Systems
There are situations where two or more systems interface with each other in both directions (e.g. a Student Record system linked to an Examinations system to pass students' course information to examination timetables and then to return students' examination results for degree awarding purposes). In these cases, the systems are considered as being interoperable.
Interoperability will obviously require planning, designing, development, implementation and testing with extra care. It is a particular issue with regard to e-Learning tools and learning content. The JISC has run a number of development programmes looking at this issue such as the MLE Interoperability Pilots in FE and SWaNI. This has led to the development of the e-Learning Frameworks and Tools strand of the e-Learning programme to provide a set of interoperable e-Learning software components that are freely available to the education sector.
In any event, the system implementation plan should contain a data and software integration/interfacing/interoperability strategy to address the institution's business needs, even if integration, interfacing and/or interoperability requirements and solutions are deferred until a later date.
