Service-Oriented Architecture

SOA or Service-oriented architecture is the
new buzzword now a day in the enterprise IT department. What is SOA? In the
very simplistic way it is a web service having heavy top ups. It is gaining
the popularity because it promises to bring down the cost of IT solutions by
reusing the complete software solution rather that just part of it. It goes
one step beyond the Object oriented languages by reusing complete software
and not just libraries.All of the basic object oriented concept such as
encapsulation, abstraction, loose coupling, contract implementation etc. all
holds but in more stringent way. It allows finding the already developed
services, distributing it and using it to develop the custom services that
again can be shared.

The wikipedia definition says "Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an
architectural style that guides all aspects of creating and using business
processes, packaged as services, throughout their lifecycle, as well as
defining and provisioning the IT infrastructure that allows different
applications to exchange data and participate in business processes loosely
coupled from the operating systems and programming languages underlying those
applications"

Many vendors are coming with the SOA products, Some of them are

• Actional Corporation: SOA Management Software


• Adobe Systems: LiveCycle Enterprise Suite w/Flex, AIR and PDF
  clients


• AmberPoint: SOA Governance, Management & Security Software


• Apache: ServiceMix


• Apple Computer: WebObjects


• BEA Systems: WebLogic, AquaLogic, and Tuxedo product families


• Business Objects: Business Intelligence Platform


• Cognos: Business Intelligence Platform


• ContentMaster: Unstructured, semi structured and structured data
  transformation


• Contivo: Contivo metadata design solutions


• Cordys: Business Process Management (BPM) centric SOA


• E2E: MDI - Model Driven Integration


• elemenope: Open-source SOA framework.


• Fujitsu: The SynfiniWay SOA framework


• GigaSpaces: SBA - Write Once, Scale Anywhere


• IBM : Service-Oriented Architecture Solutions


• Infravio: SOA Registry and Governance Solutions


• IONA Technologies: Artix ESB Enterprise Service Bus


• iWay Software: iWay Foundation for SOA


• Kantega: Kantega Secure Identity


• Layer 7 Technologies: Security, Performance, Operational Management
  (Governance)


• MEGA International: Business-Driven SOA


• MetaMatrix: MetaMatrix Dimension


• Microsoft: BizTalk and WCF


• MuleSource: Mule


• Nexaweb: Platform 4.0


• Onyx Software Corporation: Onyx Web Services and the Onyx Process
  Manager


• Oracle Corporation: Oracle Application Server, Oracle SOA Suite


• PNMsoft: Business Process Management (BPM) centric SOA


• Progress Software: Sonic ESB, Actional Web Services Management and SOA
  Management, DataXtend Data Integration Software


• Rogue Wave Software: Rogue Wave Hydra Suite - High Performance SOA


• SeeWhy: Event driven Business Intelligence Platform for SOA


• SAP: NetWeaver


• SOAMatrix Software: SOALayers product suite, SOAIntegrator platform;
  SOA Integration, Governance, Management and Security solutions


• SOA Software: SOA, XML, and Web services management and security


• Software AG: crossvision is an SOA suite


• Solstice Software: Solstice Integra Suite is a SOA testing suite


• Torry Harris Business Solutions: Vendor neutral Service Oriented
  Architecture implementation


• OutSystems Agile SOA Platform


• Ultimus: Business Process Management (BPM) Suite with integrated
  SOA


• Xcalia: Intermediation Core (metadata driven business model and unified
  Data Access for databases and services (Web Services, Mainframe computer,
  Message Oriented Middleware) from Java, .Net and Data Access Services

I think the Semantic web (more on that in other post) along with the SOA,
is going to change the fundamental way we use the Internet in last decade.
The collaborating and sharing of IT solution will provide us the services
that we hardly though of and that too at very cheap price. You can book a
flight ticket, which will show you the available hotel in your destination
that fits your budget and also that matched your schedule. You don't have to
do any thing! Just be on the net! And for the software developers its going
to be highly challenging and back paining evolution!

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses
material from the Wikipedia article. Service-oriented architecture