Here’s a quick brain teaser. If Train A leaves the station at 9:00 a.m. going 75 miles per hour and Train B leaves the station at 9:05 a.m. going 85 miles per hour, at what point will Train B pass Train A?

To truly answer this question, you’d have to know where the trains were heading and if they are on parallel tracks, in the same time zone, or country for that matter. And what would happen if Train A accelerated while Train B decelerated? Clearly, there are lots of variables that can impact each train’s arrival to its destination.

SOA strategies, adoption and deployments are not unlike the trains in that certain influences can keep the project going full steam ahead while other factors can cause it to be derailed. Though one fact is certain -- the SOA train has left the station and is picking up momentum around the world.

From a global perspective, IDC reports that SOA-based services spending will reach $33.8 billion by 2010. Meanwhile, 48 percent of the CIOs recently surveyed by McKinsey said that they plan to implement SOA for integration with external trading partners in 2007. While there are lots of data points around SOA, the consistent findings from both in-depth research and real-world experience is that investments in SOA will continue to rise.

By all indications, the United States and Europe are leading the SOA charge. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the U.S. has more companies in the evaluation and small project phases whereas Europe has more advanced deployments. While you may find various pockets of aggressive SOA rollouts in parts of Australia as well as some ‘wait and see’ perspectives, you may also find more cautious optimism in Japan and a slow yet steadily growing interest from the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries.

Whether you’re reading this at your desk in Montana, on a plane bound for Dubai, or in your regional sales office in Pune, you are acutely aware of the growing demand for SOA on a global scale. However, the approach you take with your organization or your customers to build consensus and advance a SOA project can be a different matter altogether.

In traveling the globe and speaking with leading organizations of all sizes, I’ve discovered that there are as many views on SOA as there are ways to say hello. While nearly every company approaches SOA from one of the five main entry points – people, processes, information, connectivity, and reuse – there are certain characteristics that can impact SOA adoption regardless of location or business. Following are three different approaches to SOA and how to respond to these unique corporate cultures.

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