Service-Oriented Architecture: Mainstream Straight Ahead 16 April 2003 Back To Application Integration & Middleware Focus Area

	Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is not new, but widespread use of SOA is. If you don't yet know about SOA and how it will change your enterprise's IT architecture, you are placing yourself at a competitive disadvantage. By 2008, SOA will be a prevailing software engineering practice, ending the 40-year domination of monolithic software architecture (0.7 probability). SOA does not require Web services — Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) is SOA-based — but Web services are based on accepted standards and will drive SOA to the mainstream. Through 2008, SOA and Web services will be implemented together in more than 75 percent of new SOA or Web services projects (0.7 probability). Yefim Natis sums it up: "Essentially, SOA is a software architecture that builds a topology of interfaces, interface implementations and interface calls. SOA is a relationship of services and service consumers, both software modules large enough to represent a complete business function." So, SOA is about reuse, encapsulation, interfaces and, ultimately, agility.  Read more		David W. McCoy Vice President & Research Director Yefim V. Natis Vice President and Research Director, Gartner Research

			Service-Oriented Architecture Scenario 16 April 2003 Yefim V. Natis  Attempted SOA will cause great successes and great failures of software projects. Understanding its role and meaning, beyond the simplistic hype, is the imperative for every enterprise software architect.

	Introduction to Service-Oriented Architecture 14 April 2003 Yefim V. Natis  Roy W. Schulte  Driven by Web services momentum, service-oriented architecture moves from leading-edge software projects to the mainstream. However, most enterprises are confused about its benefits and don't understand its risks.		Use SOA for Composite Application Integration 16 April 2003 Roy W. Schulte  Service-oriented architecture is the best solution for composite application integration, but it is not an ideal solution for other types of integration that are unidirectional.
	Most Composite Applications Will Need an Integration Layer 14 April 2003 Roy W. Schulte  Yefim V. Natis  Many new composite applications will use a service-oriented architecture and Web services standards, but they will still need an integration layer to mediate between client and server modules.		Picking the Right Interoperability Strategy for SOA 16 April 2003 Massimo Pezzini  Service-oriented architecture needs an interoperability platform to link service consumer applications with services. Several technologies, including Web services, can do it, but they must often be used in combination.
	Next-Generation AD Tools Will Bring SOA to the Mainstream 14 April 2003 Mark Driver  A new generation of toolsets based on service-oriented development of applications technologies will make service-oriented architecture solutions available to mainstream application development vendors.		Packaged Applications Meet Service-Oriented Architectures 9 April 2003 Brian Wood  Jeff Comport  Evaluating a packaged application must start with an assessment of how well it can work within a service-oriented architecture. Examining the underlying architecture is the best starting point.
	SOA and BPM Form a Potent Combination 14 April 2003 Jim Sinur  David W. McCoy  Jess Thompson  Used together, business process management and service-oriented architecture can form a dynamic combination that leverages the agility and extends the capabilities of both technologies.