In the past few months, Shaw Binary Systems, Inc. (SBSI) has been devoting more and more time to helping clients integrate outside services into their websites. This has taken many different forms, integrating any number of services, from UPS to QuickBooks. A prevalent example of such integration is UPS quotes being available through various online stores' websites. This is an important technological step because consumers are able to get quotes for their purchases directly from the store at the time of purchase.
SBSI has created a similar application so one of their client's website (Egoscue) can communicate, through XML, with UPS. This works much in the same way that other online stores shipping options work, enabling the user to get a quote for shipping in real time, without the hassle of visiting the UPS site themselves or having to wait to be informed of shipping quotes.
Another product that SBSI has been working on integrating their client existent systems is QuickLinks, a software development kit (sdk) for QuickBooks. For clients in the medical field, utilizing QuickLinks will allow information about patients and procedures to be transferred to accounting. This will greatly cut down on the reimputing of data and help to streamline procedures.
In the next year SBSI is hoping to expand its efforts and increase the use of integration. SBSI is currently looking at adding a tracking option to go along with quotes from UPS and is looking at other instances where QuickBooks would be a valuable tool. SBSI is also hoping to start integrating simple messaging services into cell phones.
