An Integration Platform is defined as a computer software which integrates different applications and services. It differentiates itself from the Enterprise application integration

Enterprise application integration

Enterprise Application Integration is defined as the use of software and computer systems architectural principles to integrate a set of enterprise computer applications.- Overview :...

 which has a focus on supply chain management. It uses the idea of System integration

System integration

In engineering, system integration is the bringing together of the component subsystems into one system and ensuring that the subsystems function together as a system...

 to create an environment for engineers.

Integration platforms can be built from components, purchased as a pre-built product ready for installation or procured from an integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) offering.

Overview

An Integration Platform tries to create an environment in which engineers can:

• Data (information) Integration
  Data integration
  Data integration involves combining data residing in different sources and providing users with a unified view of these data.This process becomes significant in a variety of situations, which include both commercial and scientific domains...
  
  : Ensure that information in multiple systems is kept consistent. Also all integrated applications are using the same datasets and can share information. Data management with metadata information and versioning ensures the data is kept consistent
• Integrate all kind of applications (independent from platform, programming language or resource) so they can bound together in workflows and processes to work in conjunction. The different interfaces are hidden by the usage of uniform interface in the Integration Platform (Process Integration).
• Collaborate between distributed and scattered applications and engineers over the network.
• Interoperability between different operating systems and programming languages by the use of similar interfaces.
• Take security considerations into account so that e.g. data is shared only with the right resources.
• Visual guidance by interactive user interfaces and a common facade for all integrate applications

Differentiation

An integration platform has a focus to be designed and helpful to Engineers. It has no intention to map business processes or integrate tools for supply chain management. Therefore it is not related to those systems.