Integration with services for IVR controllers, cross-application customer accounts, (female) operator usage logs, content delivery over SMS and WAP, and customer moderation. 2-tier is not an option.

Strange thing is, the investigator uses distributed J2EE services like my company (without horny people on the 'phone) but hasn't investigated talking with the existing services. I think you're right. Someone else will try some other meterology app in the same framework and it'll be hideous.

Pity really. Xdoclet and Struts takes some of the pain away but compiled code is painful in a presentation layer.