As outlined in Part III of the series, the vision of BPM/SOA convergence has a flavour of a 'holy grail' of application engineering – it promises to keep the two worlds (business and IT) separate yet united by the shared concept of reusable ‘service’ playing the role of the bridge between them (see Part II). Crusaders with either emblem claim readiness to share their horses on the way forward if not declaring outright victory (especially if they are in the vendor's regiment).
The more realistically minded come up with lists of requirements needed for the vision to materialise. Conspiracy protagonists allege ‘the other side’ of having a hidden agenda (probably of hijacking their own hidden agenda). Sceptics point out that they have seen it all before.
