Six years ago the IT industry once again latched on to the next big thing - this time, service-oriented architecture (SOA). And to date most Canadian organizations have watched with interest, but without rolling up their sleeves. Over what seems like a long stretch of time, SOA hype has ebbed and flowed and is now picking up again with renewed industry hope. Although optimism is warranted - with an unprecedented number of Canadian organizations exploring SOA potential - some fundamentals aren't in place yet to support lasting confidence.
Confusion around what SOA actually is and does for IT and for business is still rampant. SOA 101 education is worthwhile for both IT and business management, but IT vendors, IT industry analysts and standards bodies are the crucibles of SOA misunderstanding.
