First, never ever, ever, never, ever, let a vendor drive a project for you. Not that vendors are evil, but they are not independent thinkers when it comes to technology. I’ve seen 4 companies make this mistake in the last 3 months, and are correcting now at huge expense.

Second, don’t’ manage by magazine. What worked for that cool company in that magazine is a great. However, your problem domain is unique, and needs unique analysis and solutions. One size does not fit all.

Finally, A-B-C…Always Be Consider…alternative technologies, the skills of those building your SOA, the driving forces behind the SOA, and this includes ROI. Yes, we need to consider ROI people.

Don’t forget, I’m speaking at the Info World SOA Executive Forum next week in San Francisco. I will be wearing cloths then, so feel free to stop by and say hi.