In my previous blog I stated that utility computing would likely evolve through this equation: Virtualization + Grid = SOA. And while my hypothesis is shared by a number of analysts and vendors in the space, further reading has introduced other options that, I believe, are just as valid and plausible. For instance, this article suggests that it may instead be Grid + SOA = Virtualization. The article is presented in two parts with the first defining the spaces as the authors see it and the second presenting use case scenarios that show real world adoption of the authors premises. The first part of the article concludes: “Grid technologies can be used in an SOA, in particular in the virtualization and composition of resources. Users work with abstract services and don’t need to worry about the technical details relating to their implementation. Another advantage of grid technologies in an SOA relates to the mechanisms for composing and executing powerful and secure workflows, where the grid operates as the backend and middleware of an SOA.”While there is not a whole lot of new information here, it is still a goood read and a good refresher course for the concepts behind the referenced technologies. It is also a good take in the much-debated which-comes-first-what-leads-to-what world of Grid, Virtualization and SOA. Technology Industry