It's not just doing the same thing you've done before in a different way. Although you should absolutely approach SOA incrementally, the benefits you can achieve are dramatic. And unlike other IT approaches, SOA is not just about technology. SOA is really a mindset and a way of approaching business problems. It supports the flex-pon-sive* company by merging technology, business insight, and thought leadership to create an environment in which innovation can thrive.

How does your company get started? There's no single answer; it depends on your business priorities. Here you see that a focus on a real business problem, not SOA, is a critical part of success. If possible, start with revenue-generating applications in small bite-size hunks. Make sure that you focus on skills by building capabilities. And make sure you have that long-term plan in place that gets your business to the flex-pon-sive* state.