As if on queue, the Zapthink guys release a report which shows that they’ve been paying attention;
Since the Web plays such a large role for SMBs in their use of Web Services, it makes sense that many of them use the cheapest, simplest approach available for implementing B2B Web Services interactions. Using approaches such as Representational State Transfer (REST) gives companies a simple, straightforward HTTP-based approach to Web Services-based integration that is adequate for the needs of many SMBs.
and …
Many SMBs have been leveraging Web Services to reduce the cost of older approaches to addressing their external integration needs. The simple addition of Web Services interfaces, however, typically remain as inflexible as the API approaches that came before. Only through the application of SOA can midsize firms build and leverage loosely coupled Web Services that are flexible enough to respond to ongoing change in the business environment.
I really like that second last sentence, where they’re saying, no, SOA does not encompass all forms of service. And though they don’t explicitly state what they do think SOA entails, it’s made clear that their interpretation of SOA does not include “the simple addition of Web Services interfaces”, which seems to mean that they include some sort of interface constraint.
Some of those snippets are taken somewhat out of context; as you’d expect, there’s a bit of the “SOAP is for heavy lifting” stuff in there too. But still, from these historically foaming-at-the-mouth WS/SOA types (kidding guys! 8-), some good stuff.
Tags: soa, rest, web, webservices.
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