BEA Systems Inc. Thursday announced a new service-oriented architecture readiness tool and an expanded SOA consulting practice.

The San Jose, Calif., company announced its BEA Service-Oriented Architecture Readiness Self-Assessment tool, which enables enterprises to assess the maturity of their systems in regard to implementing SOAs, the company said.

The SOA Readiness Self-Assessment tool is based on BEA's SOA Domain Methodology, which keys on six primary areas of SOA implementation to check an enterprise's maturity level, the company said. These areas are business process and strategy, architecture, building blocks, projects and applications, costs and benefits, and organization and governance.