I’ve noticed a trend towards “XYZ affiliated / branded SOA roles/ people & products”.
Every day I receive e-mails for or see notifications for companies looking for some of the following roles:
- Java SOA Architect / SOA Java Architect
- SOA Architect - IBM Websphere Stack
- SOA Architect – TIBCO know-how a must
- .NET Architect – SOA
- BAM Manager / Architect
- etc..
Why is it that; when platform & technology independent enterprise integration, orientation & alignment was the ‘mantra’ for SOA that these organziations still seek ‘deep technology-silo specialists’ versus ‘broad SOA purists’.
I don’t know. Go ask the Product Vendors & their Sales Directors / Professionals, the Marketing Buzz Boys and “Affiliated” Technologists.
What qualifies a ‘Technology Architect’ to become an ‘SOA Architect’? I dont know, but it seems to me that the ability to implement ‘web services’ (from a handful to a couple of 100 / 1000) using a ‘Message & Process oriented Web Services Integration Middleware Platform’ qualifies them. I beg to differ.
In fact, an ‘SOA Architect’ strives to bring a sense of ‘quality & sanity check’ in all the technology that is being used to build & support the enterprise processes. He strives to bring about and remove the notion of functional silos and / or Business v/s IT siloes / camps in an organization. He strives to bring about a governance model that eliminates and converts ‘boundary lines of separation’ and converts them to ‘points of empathy & collaboration’. People delve equally into their own responsibilities as they do into helping others fulfill theirs. An SOA Architect has no affinities & affiliations.
That does not mean that a Java Architect or an SAP Platform expert cannot learn & apply the Service Orientation mindset. But, it comes from understanding the nature of things beyond the platform, the nature of the ‘Domino Effect’, in an Enterprise and its related industries & markets. Go beyond the product & beyond the past techniques for your technology & business and start fresh. Can you think outside the Box?
If pure ‘Service Orientation’ was to be truely understood, it implies a clear lack of affinity & focuses on the simple goal of ‘Strategic Orientation & Alignment’ and leverages the abilities of SMEs in bringing that alignment. Service Orientation revolves around abstracted non-affiliated Reference Models & Architectures that bring to light Cabablity & Methodology Maturity benchmarks that the enterprise continually strives to align with and live upto.
So neither SOA-ized product stacks, nor SOA-ized platform experts by themselves really qualify in bringing about Service Orientation.
