Software Engineering Institute

Among current technologies, Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) has the greatest potential for implementing the vision of migration to net-centric operations. While SOA has been successful in many cases, it has also been marked by a number of expensive failures. This article outlines four pillars to SOA success that include the following: developing an appropriate SOA strategy, implementing effective SOA governance, making sound technology assessments, and accounting for the fact that SOA requires a different mindset. As a result, the article proposes how a Department of Defense (DoD) organization can develop and implement an effective strategy for SOA implementation.