The fact of the matter is that IBM has been mixing a huge application integration and SOA cocktail for the last several years, with many acquisitions and product development efforts. However, many of the messages in support of the products are in direct conflict….something that’s leaving many IBM purists scratching their heads these days, as the SOA market explodes.

"I blame that on a lack of communication between the WebSphere and Tivoli groups,” says Burton Group vice president and research director Anne Thomas Manes who also believes IBM "missed an opportunity" with this latest SOA push.

What with all this? When you’re a company as big as IBM, with the power to reach thousands of existing customers, as well as shape an emerging market, your messages need to be clear as to where all of your technology exists within a SOA solution pattern, and how you form a SOA with that technology. However, when technology organizations get that large too many fortresses of technology are often formed, each with their own marketing messages and product strategies, and sometimes they conflict. I think that’s the case here.

So, Dave, what would you do if you ran IBM? First, I would call all of my friends and have them come over and see my new cool office. Second, I would have the mother of all off-sites with key leaders in the organization and read them the riot act about adhering to a common strategy with a consistent message to the marketplace. Finally, we would follow up the off-site with 2 days of golf. Executive privilege.