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Project SOA: Business Implications of Service Oriented Architecture
What CIOs and business executives need to know about SOA - the potential, the reality and the challenges
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SOA promises to dramatically improve the agility and business performance of information systems. It's also the subject of enormous hype these days. Project SOA takes an executive-level look at the opportunities, impacts, and adoption strategies of SOA
"Dramatic reductions in time-to-market," "extend the life of technology assets," "rapid response to business change," "eliminate long-cycle development projects and big-bang system implementations" - you've likely heard the promises associated with Service Oriented Architecture. But how, how soon, and at what effort and cost can your corporation realize these potential benefits?
SOA is an approach to organizing and delivering information technology assets - both inside and outside the corporation - in truly modular and building-block fashion. The results include unprecedented flexibility and responsiveness in redeploying technology as business demands and opportunities change, the opportunity to maximize the leverage of outside assets (including information systems delivered via the Web), and quantum-leap efficiencies in the work of developing and deploying new systems and incorporating new technologies.
These goals are not new, but the evolution of technology has finally caught up with them. In recent years, technologists have succeeded in adopting the "Internet model" of modular and interconnectable services to corporate data management, information systems, and infrastructure. The result goes far beyond internal efficiency and flexibility. SOA enables the information, systems, and technology resources available on the Internet to be extensions of (or replacements for) the technology assets in house.
On one hand, the benefits of SOA multiply with scale, so adoption entails a serious business commitment. On the other hand, it's the nature of the approach to be able to assemble the pieces individually. So the key questions become: Are we ready? Where and how should we start - or accelerate - our efforts? What will it be like living with an SOA approach? What will it mean for our business? That is the focus of this research.
Re.sultsŪ Project SOA will enable participants to address issues such as:
- In what ways can SOA increase our business agility? What must we change or give up in order to get that agility? What other business benefits can we expect?
- What will we need to invest to realize the benefits?
- In what ways will SOA transform the work of our IT organization? How can we anticipate and manage the transitions? Source the needed talent?
- How can SOA improve the experience of our customers with our company and its information systems?
- How will SOA change the portfolio of IT assets and initiatives - and how will business and IT leaders jointly manage that portfolio?
- How and how quickly can we adapt our large legacy systems to SOA?
- How will systems security and information privacy be affected by the more "open ended" approach of SOA? How should we adjust accordingly?
- How do we monitor our progress during the SOA journey? What are the measures of success? What pitfalls should we anticipate and avoid?
Project SOA features the participation of some of BSG Concours' most experienced consultants and researchers, including Roy Youngman, an expert on the design and implementation of IT initiatives and value realization, who will also be directing the project; Dr. Nick Vitalari, an expert in leadership decision making and corporate renewal; Vaughan Merlyn, an authority on business/IT strategy and management; Franklin Cantrell, an expert in IT strategy, operating models, and architecture; Kimberly Hatch, an expert on emerging technology and architecture trends; Dr. Espen Andersen, an expert on the business implications of trends in technology; and Tony Gonzalez, Director, Technology for BSG Alliance.
Project SOA begins on July 10, 2007 and concludes on November 6, 2007. It is possible to join the project in progress. Project SOA participation is included in all Concours programs for CIOs.
To register for the kickoff teleconference and Project SOA, click here.
For more information on Project SOA or The Concours Group, contact
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