Networks and computers at the service of consumers and business is a cherished and long-held promise that has so far failed to deliver. No longer. An emerging software model supported by the European Commission and the software industry may mean that networks and computers become, finally, at your service.
Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a model for a new approach to information technology. "SOA is really a philosophy, a way of approaching software development around the concept of providing services," said Mike Papazoglou, author of a Web services textbook, due out in December, and acting chair of the International Conference for Service Oriented Computing (ICSOC).
