"Best-of-breed" vs. monolithic solutions. Roundtable discussion

The debate is hotter now than it was when we alluded to it in our June issue's "round table." CIOs and IS directors still wonder about the strategic advantages of single-vendor solutions vs. the best-of-breed approach. In June we noted that this dynamic has driven system acquisitions for several years. Since then we have witnessed what amounts to a feeding frenzy. We asked a few experts to discuss their perceptions of the controversy. Their comments follow.