But the use of mashups is not restricted to Web sites; they are found in a number of variations on other platforms as well. Producers of portal software have implemented mechanisms, known by such names as widgets, gadgets, or portlets, with which information building blocks (key data, links, weather, news) can be arranged for specific users on a company portal. Microsoft offers similar services on the desktop through its sidebar functions.

The Web 2.0 philosophy emphasizes yet another ­characteristic of mashups: simple combination of basic elements from a ­collection (repository) without requiring any programming knowledge whenever at all possible. There are a number of tools for this purpose which are intended for users and not for programmers.   

Business mashups simplify the information flow in the company 

Can the concept of mashups also be transferred to companies? The goal here is to make the necessary information available to the right people in the company at the appropriate moment. Business mashups are supposed to support collaborative processes and workflows in companies and coordinate activities of teams or systems. Business mashups must satisfy the needs of users in companies, but should adapt more quickly and better to these needs than traditional applications can. This is possible because the assembly, using the appropriate software tools, is placed right in the hands of the (trained) users. 

The focus is on the provision and combination of ­information from various sources and the automation of collaborative processes. During the automation of processes, the mashup ­provides constant supervision in the form of status information and ­reporting options. Instead of writing codes, users assemble their mashups from existing building block libraries with the help of a design application which offers comprehensive visual aids for design of the workflows. Once the mashup has been compiled, it can be released for publication on a central server. The mashup is then available to the intended group of users and can be executed. It is run by calling up the mashup in a Web browser, whether at work or from a laptop or Internet-capable cell phone while traveling. The mashup server accesses the services which are available in the company’s SOA ecosystem. It utilizes a business process engine for execution of the workflows defined by the user. The execution itself is under the control of a business activity monitoring function.