"If the business case is there we can get the funds to do the job and we would know up front what it would be," he said. "Users are expecting more from IT; IT is not just an application that you run on your desktop. It's a business process and users expect to see a seamless flow of information to them. The user is driving integration."

InterSystems' Australia managing director, Denis Tebbutt, said even if organizations like the Salvation Army haven't integrated their applications, they are not "behind the eight-ball".

"New technology provides the opportunity to put business processes first," Tebbutt said. "This design resides in heads of people in the organization."

Tebbutt said engaging in a proof-of-concept will allow an organization to see an expected ROI for an integration project and IT to respond to the change in a timely manner.