Definition
Data integration is the process of combining data from disparate sources into a unified view. It involves collecting, transforming, and consolidating information to ensure consistency and accessibility across different systems. This practice enables organizations to gain a comprehensive understanding of their operations and make informed decisions. For instance, a retail company might integrate sales data from online stores with inventory data from physical locations to optimize stock management. While often confused with data warehousing, which focuses on storing historical data, data integration emphasizes the active process of merging and synchronizing data in near real time. This concept is fundamental in domains like data management, business intelligence, and systems architecture, appearing in certifications such as CompTIA Data+ and AWS Certified Data Analytics Specialty.