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enterprise application integration (EAI)

 (Internet 

World, 1999). Such applications include a  sales-  order processing system and a warehousing 

system. It now also includes software programs from different organisations.

A final example of the use of an extranet on a global basis is that of Mecalux (www.mecalux.

com). Mecalux, based in Barcelona, is involved in the design, manufacture and assembly of 

storage systems. Since it was formed in 1996, the company has expanded and has offices in 

Argentina, Germany, the UK, France, Portugal, Singapore and Mexico. One of the challenges 

of this expansion was to improve communications between its representatives around the 

world and to supply them with the information needed to improve customer service. The 

management team wanted to create a paperless company where information flows freely in 

all locations around the world. This makes it easier for the engineers to have the informa-

tion necessary to respond to any customer’s requirements. The extranet created to solve this 

problem has, for example, enabled representatives in Singapore to tap into data held on the 

server in Spain to check the availability of the product and get it to a local customer in the 

shortest possible timeframe. The solution also permits technicians and engineers to collabo-

rate on ideas and work together on future designs from anywhere in the world.