It's getting harder not to talk about SOA without discussion the emerging cloud computing trend that is reshaping the IT landscape. SOA has a vital roll to play in enabling behind-the-scenes integration with cloud services, and to some extent, an SOA-based installation can be considered an organization's internal "cloud."
Web services guru David Chappell recently published a paper on “cloud platforms,” which he defines as platforms that “let developers write applications that run in the cloud, or use services provided from the cloud, or both.” Cloud platforms are also referred to as on-demand platforms and platform as a service (PaaS). (The paper was sponsored by Microsoft -- which frequently turns to David for thought leadership -- but doesn't necessarily reflect the vendor's stance on cloud computing.)
There are two forms of cloud platforms: cloud infrastructure services and cloud applications services, David said. Cloud infrastructure services include on-demand storage, integration, and identity. Cloud application services include Software as a Service, search, mapping, and other application services.
David notes that we’re only in the early stages of this evolution, and “cloud platforms aren’t yet at the center of most people’s attention.” However, he continues, “the odds are good, though, that this won’t be true five years from now. The attractions of cloud-based computing, including scalability and lower costs, are very real. If you work in application development, whether for a software vendor or an end user, expect the cloud to play an increasing role in your future. The next generation of application platforms is here.”
For regular updates and astute commentary on both cloud computing and the SaaS phenomenon, tune into ebizQ's own Krissi Danielsson.
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