The proliferation of “mashups” (software services created by combining disparate components into a new configuration) shows that they are becoming increasingly popular and have already entered the Enterprise domains. Some of these are not only useful but also fairly quick to develop and deploy. But there is no such thing as a free lunch. The facility of mashup development and deployment must always be offset against the inherent risks involved. These risks are primarily questions of security, quality and sustainability.
Any third-party software product/ service carries security implications which need to be properly assessed and formally recorded, as part of the Enterprise risk management regime.
Mashup components are produced by a huge community of developers, ranging from major corporations down to one-man-bands. This disparity inevitably implies variable quality assurance issues. Any mashup component needs to be carefully reviewed, internally and externally.
Using a mashup component is like buying a car: don’t just look at the bodywork, check the engine, steering and brakes. Examine the code, whenever you can, and check the web for any potential pitfalls linked to your prospective component.
Finally, but by no means least, think about the sustainability of the mashup components. As a minumum, ask the following questions:
Who will support the product?
Who will resolve inter-component issues?
What is our level of confidence in the component provider?
These rudimentary precautions could help you to avoid a number of serious problems with resilience and performance of your mashed up Enterprise.
But don’t let me put you off using mashups, this website is built from mashup components and seems to work (most of the time). 
You may also like to read:
