Service Oriented Architecture is becoming a major "buzzword" in IT and business circles. More commonly referred to as SOA, it is the leading approach to integrate distributed systems.

At the LBR-LBO Service Oriented Architecture Forum held last month, Paul Fremantle, Co-chair of the OASIS WSRX Committee and co-founder of WSO2, in his keynote address said "SOA increases the value of IT to the business allowing more flexible business models. It is rapidly moving from being a cost of doing business to becoming an asset."

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is essentially a collection of services, most often web based, which has the ability to communicate with each other. It can be either by simple data passing or it can involve two or more services coordinating various activity. Companies that deploy successful SOA platforms are more agile, can get higher performance and are able to unleash business potential by simplifying systems which results in competitive advantages and differentiation, the LBR-LBO group said.