SAP's Business Framework

SAP's Business Framework is a product oriented architecture framework from SAP.This framework enables simple configuration and connection management of all business processes.
This provides hardware and platform independence of components and help them function in an integrated fashion.
This framework enables easy addition and removal of applications into existing enterprise software without interrupting day-to-day activities of business.
Applications included in this framework communicate using ALE (Application Link Enabling). protocol.
Data is transferred between the applications included in this framework using SAP-certified BAPI interfaces.
The applications can be SAP Products such as SAP Business Information Warehouse (BW), Advanced Planner and Optimizer(APO) or non-SAP products.
Applications such as a company's existing self-service intranet applications can be integrated into this framework.
For connecting third-party applications into this framework they must be SAP certified.

A good example of an application integrated in the SAP's Business Framework is R/3 System.