Providing the kind of value-added experience that today's customers demand means having the flexibility to respond to customers' changing needs. It means having the tools to create an optimal business environment where employees and partners can collaborate efficiently to build customer satisfaction and achieve business goals.

However, for many midsize businesses, the existing IT infrastructure is not supporting the business need for growing customer responsiveness. Perhaps the infrastructure was built one application at a time over the course of many years, as the business reacted as quickly as possible to new market demands and technology requirements. A company trying to stay ahead of the next curve often does not have the luxury of time to consider how systems will work together or how they fit into a bigger technology picture. Core business components may suffer in the long-term, resulting in ineffective employee communication and collaboration, fractured or vulnerable business information, or a weak online presence.