The benefits of the service-oriented architecture are widely touted: reduced integration costs, greater asset reuse, and the ability for I.T. to respond more quickly to changing business and regulatory requirements. But what about the pitfalls? SOA pioneers know all too well the challenges that can arise when a company service-enables critical applications. The SOA endeavor spans I.T. disciplines: It's part systems design and architecture overhaul, part application development and business makeover.
