Lightweight SOA in a Down Economy
The current economic downturn has shifted the focus of most organizations from business growth to a simple survival mode. Chief Information Officers are spending more time on difficult cost-cutting decisions than on being more competitive and responding to business change. At the same time, these same businesses predict that Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a critically important tool for helping companies deal with the crisis, since it helps avoid redundant capabilities, reduce IT costs, improve time to market, and position the organization for success once the economy improves.
The question then is what should companies focus on to survive these times while at the same time make the right IT investments to become more competitive when the good times are back. These practices include transparency, a ruthless focus on return on investment, and increased emphasis on governance. Choosing the right tools for SOA Governance that enable organizations to manage assets, promote systematic reuse, and maintain quality in a cost-effective manner is an essential part of not just surviving the downturn, but positioning the organization for long-term success.