You've heard it all before; technology should add value to a concept like SOA, not control it. Lately I've run into SOA efforts that are not playing by that rule. Indeed, the focus is on ESBs and governance layers, and not on getting SOA right from an architecture standpoint. I thought SOA was architecture, right?
At issue are the multi-billion dollar marketing budgets that vendors bring to the SOA world, and thus lead through sheer volume of sales. Those who promote the architectural value of SOA, perhaps like yours truly, are not being heard above the noise and flash of the SOA-in-a-box movement that's occurring all around us. The end state is, and will be, a failed project due to the misuse of technology, and project managers who do not understand their own issues before pulling out credit cards and buying technology. Thus, too much focus on technology is hurting SOA.
