If you've been reading this Blog and listening to my Podcasts, you know that I've been calling SOA what SOA is…an architectural pattern, and in many instances a vital component of a healthy enterprise architecture. Indeed, I've provided some keynote talks around this very topic to about half-a-dozen enterprise architecture conferences to date. However, generally speaking, the enterprise architects out there cont If you’ve been reading this Blog and listening to my Podcasts, you know that I’ve been calling SOA what SOA is…an architectural pattern, and in many instances a vital component of a healthy enterprise architecture. Indeed, I’ve provided some keynote talks around this very topic to about half-a-dozen enterprise architecture conferences to date. However, generally speaking, the enterprise architects out there continue not to get SOA, and continue to do a poor to average job creating enterprise architectures that…well…support their enterprise. By the way, those of you who will respond to this post and tell me that you’re doing well with your architecture, that’s fine. Unfortunately, dozens of you can be an exception to my observations, and it still does not mean I’m wrong here. This is a systemic problem. Here are the issues: Don’t understand SOA. The largest issue is that enterprise architects out there continue to not get SOA. Either they just don’t bother, or want the definition of SOA to fit some preconceived and incorrect notion in their minds. Are you listening…guys who use “SOA” and “ESB” interchangeable? Don’t understand their own issues. The other problem is that many enterprise architects don’t understand their own issues. Most can’t tell you the cost of inefficiencies within their existing IT infrastructure and enterprise architecture, any value they would get from reuse, and any metrics around the value of agility within the enterprise. In some instances there is no central record/artifacts around data semantics, APIs, processes, workflow, etc.. No clear understanding of what the current issues are, and no notion as to how to correct them over time. Fear change. If things are bad, than change is typically good. Unfortunately, change also means risk, and risk is something people typically don’t like. The fact of the matter is that people are rewarded for maintaining more so than improving, and thus how many of the enterprise architectures out there are now layers upon layers of tactical one-off solutions designed to “keep things going a few more years.” Somebody needs to have the political will to figure out a long term solution, using sound enterprise architecture approaches, including SOA. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that guys like me shining a light on these shortcomings will have much impact. I think it’s going to take some well published disasters that almost kill a company or two before the powers that be understand the real problem here. Hopefully, a few of you will be more proactive. Software Development