The result is often a great technology learning experience and a handful of useful services upon which a related set of apps can be built and modified easily. But an isolated project seldom builds the skills needed to persuade multiple groups to collaborate on broader SOA development.

Miko Matsumura, vice president of SOA product marketing for webMethods, says the path from an isolated SOA project to an initiative that spans various departments or business units crosses a Rubicon: "A new set of individuals entering into a federation is an inflection point. Each of these tribes brings their own culture. When you're running a pilot there's one tribe. Moving beyond the pilot means involving more cultures -- and that changes everything."