When is a SOA implementation complete ?

This is a question that is raised many times as it is quite normal to want to draw a line under any effort when it has been completed.

SOA at its highest level is architecture and an organization wide philosophy of how things will be done drawing input from the business and IT parts of an organization. Unless your organization intends to stay static for the foreseeable future, the SOA Implementation is an ongoing effort as each new project emerges.

During the early stages of the implementation of a SOA in your organization, there will be many projects planned and ongoing as you move forward to improve what is currently there. Many SOA projects will be completed as you proceed but in the early stages at least, there will always be further projects to complete.

As SOA becomes embedded in the organization, the numbers of projects will potentially be reduced, however, in a vibrant organization, things are continually changing and new projects will always be on the cards. These too must be implemented to work within your new SOA.

Ultimately while individual SOA projects will be completed, the effort to implement SOA in your organization must continue forever and will continue to provide benefits as your organization progresses.The SOA Gateway can form a key part of any SOA strategy.