r to event flow capability as a workflow manager. The term "workflow manager" is a highly overloaded term (see later in this chapter). Some vendors use the term to describe an event flow engine that manages the individual message interactions among applications. Others use the term to describe a more general workflow capability that provides work queues and process managers, including both mechanized and manual (i.e. human) task management. In general, the former type of event flow manager is the most suitable for EAI. Vendors that have developed specific capabilities in this area are likely to have a more robust solution than those who have elected to use a more general-purpose workflow manager. The event flow manager's task is to organize the events and maintain the state of the overall business transactions occurring among applications. At a high level, the business transaction may be to add a new customer to the billing system, utilizing information that was previously captured in the sales Chapter 6 - Integrating the OSS Platform force automation system. At a detailed transaction level, several messages may need to be exchanged between applications. It may be necessary to first establish the customer header information, and then add information on service locations and billing addresses through a series of message exchanges. The event flow manager oversees and sequences this process. The user interface, and the way the user can select and design event and message flows, can be a key feature and differentiator among EAI vendor packages. Value is added to EAI when the package is easy for different levels of users - from systems integrators to business analysts - to examine how applications fit together 14. OTHER EAI COMPONENTS Security. Typically, applications provide security through a User ID and password. An automated business process replaces user interactions with messaging interactions with the exception of the first step of the business process - the initial logon to the primary system such as Clarify o