What does integrator mean?
An integrator is a person, company, organization, or system that brings separate elements together and makes them function as a unified whole. The term is especially common in business and technology, where a “system integrator” coordinates hardware, software, services, and suppliers to deliver a complete solution, while a “software integrator” connects data or applications from different systems. The word can also describe a computing component designed to combine information from several sources. Its emphasis is not merely on joining parts, but on coordinating them effectively and producing a coherent result. In general discussion, “coordinator” may sound less technical, whereas “integrator” suggests expertise in combining complex systems. The word comes from the same Latin root as “integrate,” “integral,” “integer,” and “integrity,” all of which express the idea of making something whole or unbroken.
nounA person, organization, or system that combines separate components or parts into a unified whole. In computing, it may also refer specifically to a device or program designed to integrate data from different sources.
- A person or organization that combines different components, systems, or services into a unified whole.
- A computing device or software component that combines data or processes from different sources.
"The company was chosen as the main system integrator for the project."
"A systems integrator coordinated the work of several engineering teams."
"The finance software acts as an integrator, bringing together data from separate business systems."
The plural is used when referring to multiple people, organizations, systems, or devices that perform integration.
"Several integrators competed to design the new platform."
An integrator does more than connect parts: it makes them work as one coherent whole.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does integrator come from?
“Integrator” ultimately derives from Latin integrare, meaning “to make whole,” combined with the suffix -or, denoting an agent or instrument that performs an action. It entered English in the 17th century in the sense of a person who makes something whole. Later technical usage extended the term to systems, devices, and software that combine parts or coordinate different processes.
How integrator is actually used
The term is common in business, technology, engineering, and public administration. It is often used attributively, especially in “system integrator” and “software integrator,” and can sound more technical or corporate than the general terms “coordinator” or “combiner.”
Easily confused with integrator
“Integrate” is a verb meaning to combine or incorporate, whereas an “integrator” is the person, organization, or system that performs the integration.