STEP is an ISO standard (ISO-10303) for the computer-interpretable representation and exchange of product data. Parts of STEP standardize conceptual structures and usage of information in generic or specific domains. The standardization process of these constructs is an approach which can be applied to a data-based integration. Platypus is a STEP-based meta-environment. From the data integration point of view, the STEP technology is primarily used for management. A key point is the automatic generation of a SDAI (a functional interface for STEP-modelled database independently of any particular system and language). Then, at the end of the complex process of defining standardized conceptual structures for the applications to be integrated, the STEP framework will provide a seamless access to data of different applications. Moreover, Platypus can be used to the development of a specific meta-environment intended to solve specific problems related to the legacy and new systems to be integrated.