Frequently Asked Questions What is a Mashup? A mashup consumes data from multiple sources, performs operations upon the data, and outputs the data.  Mashups are typically lightweight solutions built on an ad-hoc basis to solve problems at hand, quickly.  MashableLogic’s technology makes it possible to build services not normally considered to be mashups, like web services and batch jobs, in addition to browser-based widgets. A mashup tool must provide the most possible flexibility in all phases of mashup development.  That means it must be able to access data from anywhere, perform any type of operations upon the data, and output the data in any form, in any location.  MashableLogic’s extensible architecture meets all these requirements, while also being easy to use. Why do I need Mashups? As the MashableLogic website homepage describes, people intuitively know how and when to use established tools like calculators and spreadsheets.  Mashups, on the other hand, are a new breed of tool that people not yet in-the- know will associate with solving lightweight, time-sensitive problems requiring multiple data sources. A calculator’s work can be done manually with paper and pencil, albeit more slowly.  Some of a spreadsheet’s work can also be done with a calculator, but again more slowly.  Similarly, your organization is likely solving certain problems today manually instead of using a mashup tool.  It can be hard to imagine the time savings and benefits until you recognize when and how to apply the tool. A mashup system does not replace anything...it complements existing systems and helps to leverage previous investments. Who are Mashups for? Any information worker can benefit from mashups in your organization. Non-technical end users and decision-makers can benefit from mashups built by others.  The webtop can be used as a dashboard, with integrated alerts helping decision makers to stay on course. Business/data analysts and more technical end users can create and edit mashups with the visual mashup editor, solving problems on-the-fly instead of having to wait for the IT department to fulfill yet another request. Programmers who know JavaScript and XML can extend the system, helping others build mashup solutions. When do I need Mashups? Mashups are typically best used to solve lightweight, time-sensitive problems requiring data from multiple sources.  These are problems that usually fall into some sort of gap between existing system capabilities, that usually end up requiring lots of manual work or a custom developed solution from an IT department to resolve. How will I benefit from Mashups? An immediate benefit of a mashup tool is being able to combine multiple data sources into meaningful information for better decision making. Another benefit is that end users are more empowered to solve information problems without having to rely on an IT department.  This helps break the typically long IT fulfillment cycle.  It also reduces the volume of small, peppering requests made to the IT department, helping them to concentrate on their core objectives. Over time, the benefits of mashups accelerate, due to a type of “network effect”.  As the system grows with more and more mashup solutions, these solutions make it easier and easier to tackle new problems that arise. How is MashableLogic’s solution different from others? MashableLogic’s solution most closely resembles a web-based Operating System, versus other mashup solutions that are typically server-based meta-language interpreters.  MashableLogic includes a Part API that part developers use to access the system’s services, as well as a full-featured windowed operating environment embodied by the webtop. MashableLogic’s mashup engine can execute mashups either on a server or within the browser, or in a combination of the two.  This makes it possible to build mashups that distribute their processing, for maximum performance.  For example, a visual browser-side mashup can invoke one or more server-side web service mashups that perform data operations in bulk and return only the salient data for visualization in the browser. MashableLogic’s mashup engine can also create browser widgets using either Adobe Flash or native browser JavaScript (DHTML) runtimes.  Adobe Flash mashups can utilize rich media, including audio and video. MashableLogic provides a webtop for viewing mashups.  The webtop features integrated alerts, drag-drop widget interactions, widget-to-widget communication and control, and extensive personalization. Mashups in MashableLogic are built visually, by wiring parts together.  There is no need to learn EMML or some other proprietary language to build mashups. MashableLogic’s mashup editor supports nested, parameterized assemblies called subassemblies.  These help to reduce the complexity of wiring diagrams, as well as provide a basis for building modular, re-usable abstraction layers. Data from external systems can be pushed to widgets in the system, enabling the creation of mashups that respond to data in real-time.  Pushed data support can also power a real-time dashboard of webtop widgets that monitor data from various sources, complete with integrated alerts. MashableLogic can be extended by building new parts using standard JavaScript and XML. Is MashableLogic’s solution based on industry standards? MashableLogic is built upon open-source and industry-standard technologies like XML, JavaScript, and Java.  MashableLogic also supports the processing of mashups written in the Enterprise Mashup Markup Language (EMML), an interoperable mashup standard promoted by the Open Mashup Alliance. How can MashableLogic be deployed? MashableLogic can be installed on-site behind your firewall, if data security is a concern.  MashableLogic runs on Windows servers or Unix/Linux variants. MashableLogic can also be hosted for you securely on Amazon’s cloud computing infrastructure. How can I purchase? Please send an e-mail to sales@mashablelogic.com to inquire.