<<Five things that are saving SOA, Recession Edition
Looking at the more optimistic side of SOA
Referring to my last post, "Five things that are killing SOA, Recession
Edition
<http://weblog.infoworld.com/realworldsoa/archives/2008/12/5_things_that_a.html>,"
Joe McKendrick added his take on my comments
<http://blogs.zdnet.com/service-oriented/?p=1230>.
I don't know to what extent external players could line up to "kill"
SOA at this point, since SOA itself is a philosophy or methodology
that shapes the way enterprises address problems through IT. You can
kill the associated technologies and products, but not the ideas and
practices.
Can't disagree with that, and my point was that you can't kill SOA the
concept, but the companies that sell SOA technology and the successful
use of SOA as a core architectural pattern -- that's another story.
However, to Joe's point, and looking at the more optimistic side of SOA,
here are *five things* that are saving SOA technology, and doing so in a
down economy.
*/SOA bloggers are saving SOA. /* Getting beyond the hype and to the
core issues, SOA bloggers such as most of those on my blogroll below and
yours truly are informing people about SOA, including best practices,
technology that works, and case studies both good and bad. This open
flow of information, in and around the vendor hype, has the effect of
arming SOA architects with the unfiltered info they need to make SOA
work the first time.
*Good CTOs are saving SOA.* Those charged with setting the technology
direction for larger enterprises out there have an opportunity to drive
change for the better. CTOs (or those that have the role and not the
title) that approach SOA as an architecture will win the game. However,
those that look at SOA as another chance to toss technology at a problem
will fail. It's that simple.
*/Visionary CEOs are saving SOA./* Clearly, SOA needs a business driver
and support from the top. CEOs that understand the value of fixing
something once and for all, and the ability to change the culture to
accept the changes needed to make SOA successful, will save SOA.
*/Small and innovative SOA consulting is saving SOA./* Call them
boutique, startups, advisors, or mentors, the smaller SOA consulting
players out there typically have the best advice and few hidden agendas.
If you're going to leverage one of the larger firms, make sure you have
another opinion.
*/SOA is saving SOA./* SOA is a proven and effective approach to
enterprise architecture, and if you follow some very basic, but
sometimes difficult, steps you'll succeed. This has been proven time and
time again. Moreover, you'll find an ROI that is many times the outlay
of resources. Just the success of the approach of SOA will ultimately
save SOA.>>
You can read this at:
http://weblog.infoworld.com/realworldsoa/archives/2008/12/five_things_tha.html?source=NLC-SOA&cgd=2008-12-08
Gervas
