WebServices dot org

The Divorce Was Overdue - But it's not yet over...

ZapThink's Jason Bloomberg just called it out in royal fashion in their latest ZapFlash: "Divorcing SOA from Web Services." And we couldn't agree more that the honeymoon between these two terms is over. SOA and Web Services may still see each other, but it will be an open relationship at best. See some of our previous entries on this topic .

We agree that Web Services can be an important part of SOA - but in our experience with prospective clients, we still commonly find companies that need to learn the distinction between one integration approach (WSDL/SOAP) with developing standards at best -- and an overall strategy of aligning technology around the business (SOA).

We find our competitors have been luring QA departments into thinking they are testing SOA by testing Web Services... a naive line of thinking that is a couple years behind the rest of the SOA management and governance market. SOA Testing needs to mature with our ability to develop and integrate SOA using the technology assets of choice for a business and its partners.

This is why almost a year ago, we decided to give away LISA Web Services testing alone for free . Yes, it can be useful, but we honestly believe that Web Services testing on its own will never deliver the quality levels required to achieve Trust in your SOA applications. Since SOA is by nature a heterogeneous environment, you need to invoke and test every layer of these applications - and an XML stream from a Web Services provides no visibility into the behaviors underneath that Web Service.

Anyway, we appreciate the article, Jason - and we were right there next to you at the wedding placing bets on this marriage coming apart. I think the next few years are going to be much better for SOA when the world takes it on its own terms - and people stop tying it to one integration strategy or vendor approach.