One of the things that I say that take many people back is that "SOA is not right for all enterprises." What? How can that be?

Truth-be-told SOA is just a way to do architecture, and while valuable within most problem domains, it indeed may not be right for you. That's why I always suggest that you do a business case before investing in SOA, making sure to justify the systemic change that SOA typically drives, and should. However, the value of SOA is clearly dependent on the characteristics of the business.

While your problem domain/enterprise may have some unique attributes, typically there are some general guidelines when considering SOA. When to use it, and when not.

SOA is probably a fit:

• When the enterprise is changing, and there is a high rate of adjusting core business process for new markets, products, acquisitions, etc.
• When the existing architecture is heterogeneous and in need of integration.
• When the value of change is high.

SOA is probably not a fit:

• When the enterprise does not change that much.
• When the existing architecture is homogenous.
• When the value of change is low.

Pretty logical, but there are a few of you out there that leverage SOA without regard for need. While, SOA may look good on your resume, it may not be good for your company. SOA is a powerful weapon, it can provide huge value, but needs to be directed towards the enterprises where SOA can provide the most bang for the buck.

Posted by Dave Linthicum on November 14, 2007 10:18 AM