Much like templates for generating code modules, integration patterns enable organizations to reuse code and configuration elements to maximize the deployment of integration projects quickly. Combining the advanced capabilities of an Enterprise Service Bus with integration patterns can deliver a number of key benefits to both business and IT: reduced risk, faster time to business value, greater agility and lower costs.
Also be sure to check out the following Podcast on ESBs, with John Bachman
"I think the key benefit of an ESB is that it provides a pallet on which you can build enterprise integrations without worrying about sort of the scope of the project or how many different sites might be involved, how many different applications might be involved. And once you have that clear pallet on which to paint, you can actually pull out the pattern and apply it to a particular business problem and solve it quickly and in a reproducible fashion."
Click here to listen to this podcast.