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Selling SOA requires big-picture view

By David S. Linthicum

August 1, 2008 — (Page 1 of 3)

Many organizations don't really have to sell SOA. They understand that the hype is the driver, so they leverage the thousands of articles and books on the topic to sell this architectural pattern. SOA is easy to sell if everyone else seems to be doing it, and there are plenty of smart people espousing its benefits.

However, in most cases, SOA must be sold within the enterprise; it’s not a slam-dunk. Indeed, if you were doing SOA right, you'd find that the cost quickly reaches well into the millions. As a result, you'd need executive approval for that kind of jump in spending. But the benefits are there as well, including agility, which could save the company many times the cost of building a SOA. At least that's the idea.

Truth be told, technical folks are not good at selling the value of a single technology or, in this case, a grouping of technologies into the enterprise. Those people rely on the assumption that everyone sees the benefit without their having to explain it, but that is not always the case. Moreover, while the advantage often is clear, in the majority of cases it’s not. Also, there is a chance that SOA may not be a fit, and you better figure that out upfront.

So, how do you sell SOA? Let's explore a few key concepts:

»   Shining a light on existing limitations
»   Building the business case
»   Creating the execution plan
»   Delivering the goods

Shining a light on existing limitations is translated simply: Admit how bad things are. For most architects, that is difficult to do, because they expose themselves to criticism. In many instances, you're the person in charge of keeping things working correctly. The architecture within most Global 2000 companies, however, is in need of fixing. You can't change the architectures; they are too complex and ill-planned. If your architecture has issues—and they all do—now is the time to list them.

Related Search Term(s): SOA & SaaS

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SOA Software releases project-planning suite for SOA transition
Portfolio Manager provides a framework for SOA planning, helping developers prioritize services, understand dependencies, and plan architecture and governance processes, the company says. The product is marketed as being essential for creating road maps for transitioning to SOA Read More...

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