Middleware

[1][2] Middleware makes it easier for software developers to implement communication and input/output, so they can focus on the specific purpose of their application.

It gained popularity in the 1980s as a solution to the problem of how to link newer applications to older legacy systems, although the term had been in use since 1968.

[3] The term is most commonly used for software that enables communication and management of data in distributed applications.

"[5] Services that can be regarded as middleware include enterprise application integration, data integration, message oriented middleware (MOM), object request brokers (ORBs), and the enterprise service bus (ESB).

This latter middleware is somewhat standardized through the Service Availability Forum[9] and is commonly used in complex, embedded systems within the telecom, defence, and aerospace industries.