5 Ways To Capitalize on Web 2.0 In Your SOA

There’s some heavy innovation happening in web application development these days. RSS, AJAX, and REST have taken off in a big way. There’s no reason this innovation can’t also live behind the firewall.

Here’s a few ways that you can capitalize on all the innovation on the web and do it behind your firewall:

1. Use REST when creating your SOA
2. Use AJAX and/or AFLAX to create your integrated applications
3. Have your enterprise services answer in RSS
4. Give end users enterprise mashup tools so they can solve their own problems.
5. Always keep in mind that SOA will outlast Web 2.0 technology

1. Use REST when creating your SOA

The REST architecture has more than proven its scalability. It also has the advantage of adding an element of vendor neutrality to your SOA. And if that’s not enough of a reason consider that fact that RESTs biggest contender is SOAP. SOAP is bloated and overly complicated. SOAP is a classic example of design by development tool company — it’s complicated and their tools make it easy.

REST is easy from the get-go and besides, it has a cooler acronym.

2. Use AJAX and AFLAX to create your integrated applications

AJAX and it’s cousin AFLAX are are nearly ubiquitous in the sense modern browsers support JavaScript and Flash.

3. Have your enterprise services answer in RSS

RSS is the lingua franca of web 2.0. It is generic enough to handle just about anything you want to throw at it. It is so widely used that you’ll have no trouble finding tools and libraries that support it. It will make your life easier.

It won’t walk your dog.

4. Give end users enterprise mashup tools so they can solve their own problems

Let your users solve their own problems. They understand their problems better than you do. They are becoming more and more tech savvy each day. Get out of the way and think of yourself as an enabler instead of a problem solver.

Give them enterprise mashup tools like JackBe, SAP Visual Composer, or IBM QEDWiki and let the games begin.

5. Always keep in mind that SOA will outlast Web 2.0 technology

Web 2.0 is hotter than barbecue on the 4th of July. It will stay hot for some time. However, it will eventually go the route of COBOL. That’s when you’ll be happy that you kept the future in mind and didn’t take any shortcuts based on myopic assumptions.

Remember, SOA will outlast Web 2.0 technology. Make sure you architect and design accordingly.

Further reading:
The SOA with reach: Web-Oriented Architecture

Technorati Tags: enterprisemashups, mashups, web2.0, enterprise, IT programming, EII, SOA, QEDWiki, YahooPipes, enterprise2.0

Advertisement