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SOA: customer and business value

Sandy Carter
Vice President, SOA Strategy
IBM

	This is an abstract of an analysis that was first published in   MIDDLEWARESPECTRA. You can order a complete version of this analysis on line by clicking the order button above.

Management introduction

This discussion focuses on Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and the value it delivers to customers and businesses. It includes contributions from:

• Sandy Carter, Vice President, SOA Strategy
• the General Manager of Architecture Planning at a large banking group
• a senior manager within the Technology Direction group at a major finacial institution
• the Institute of Business Value.

As will become clear, particularly with the contributions from the Bank and the financial institution that talk about what they are doing, SOA is practical and has many benefits. But it also has to be introduced to the business in ways that do not hide the benefits behind IT jargon or technology presumptions.

Figure 2.1: SOA entry point dimensions
Figure 2.2: Institute of Business Value (IBV) findings
Figure 2.3: Leveraging information from the IBV
Figure 2.4: Framework - a high level view
Figure 2.5: Common starting points
Figure 2.6: Realizations

Management conclusion

IBM believes that is has the most significant investment in intellectual capital, tools, products and expertise to assist customers to realize business value via SOA. It has reached this position not only by undertaking several thousand assignments with customers but also by analyzing these assignments for what might be used by subsequent customers.

That said, even IBM acknowledges that defining the business value of SOA for business managers, and guiding an organization to the successful realization of SOA, is not trivial. SOA adoption, and its benefits, are not something that occurs overnight; it takes time.

Best practices shows that the focus should be on the business problem, not on the SOA itself. Any initiative should usually start with revenue generating applications. These will confirm to business units that SOA does indeed have value.

	This is an abstract of an analysis that was first published in   MIDDLEWARESPECTRA. You can order a complete version of this analysis on line by clicking the order button above.