Many distributed applications require interoperability with custom solutions and multiple data stores. SQL Server 7.0 addresses this requirement in two ways. First, all replication programming interfaces are exposed and documented, allowing software developers to integrate applications tightly with SQL Server replication. For example, independent software vendors (ISVs) who specialize in replication solutions can easily layer their functionality on top of SQL Server replication to support replication to and from multiple data stores. Sales force automation vendors can easily build SQL Server replication directly into their applications, creating a seamless solution for customers. Second, SQL Server 7.0 replication is built on OLE DB and ODBC, the primary standards for data access, which provide built-in heterogeneous replication capabilities.