It has never been easier to integrate data from disparate and disconnected sources inside and outside the enterprise, thanks to the mashup, as Lesley Meall explains.

What do the Sugababes and Gary Numan have in common with the Chicago Police Department and Thomson Financial? The answer: mashups. The trend started out in the music business, where the process of creating a new track, from parts of two or more others, led to hits such as Freak Like Me, where the Sugababes mashed an Adina Howard acapella with music from Our Friends Electric, by Tubeway Army. Now, mashups have trickled down into the enterprise, where they can result in significant business benefits (of which more, later).