24
MAY, 2005
Will
users beat a path to Sun's door?
It
is hardly unreasonable to expect that, in a marketplace where the concepts
involved are intangible and the solutions options so varied, that a number
of companies should offer customers support and advisory services to guide
them through the foggy morass. Leading players such as Sun, Bea and HP
have already pitched their services at users, so it is hardly a surprise
to see Sun Microsystems join in as the latest contender.
The company has unveiled a new practice called SOA Path. The idea is similar
to other contenders, in that it aims to provide customers with software
and services that support an enterprise's SOA from its planning stage
to its implementation. The main difference concerns Sun's commitment to
Java, with the service containing a strong element of Java software in
what is offered. According to Joe Keller, Sun vice president, the practice
falls under the aegis of Sun's enterprise Web services practice, which
was created last year.
The company is keen to have the word `pragmatic' associated with Sun Path,
a move which makes a certain sense. Building a service-based infrastructure
is just about the total opposite of an exact science where support services
are now becoming one of the key starting points for many enterprises.
The one approach that would almost certainly doom any vendor's efforts
to failure would be a dogmatic one geared to one solution. That does not
mean, of course, that Sun is not going to bend the word pragmatic as far
in its own direction as it thinks will remain plausible.
It
aims to use the service to enhance the delivery of products and services
that support the Sun Java Enterprise System platform and are based on
SOA and Web services standards running on Solaris 10. Within this portfolio
is the Sun Java System Application Platform Suite – that addresses
the use of Web services components to integrate disparate enterprise systems;
the Sun Java Web Infrastructure Suite – a quick start approach to
Web services; and the Sun Java Identity Management Suite – an integrated
set of products to securely manage user identities.
The
services provided by SOA Path include:
• SOA Jumpstart Workshop: a program to assist customers that provides
services requirements analysis, services candidate architecture and services
implementation. It also helps to prepare both technical and business teams
to collaborate in designing, implementing and accepting the SOA approach
to delivering business services.
• SOA Opportunity Assessment: an analysis of key business processes
& architecture alignment that results in a set of recommendations
and a roadmap for adopting SOA. Primary areas analysed include architecture,
organisation strategy, skills, process and practices. The analysis also
evaluates design time & deployment considerations for specific composite
application/services implementations that are currently underway.
• SOA Proof of Concept: identify & evaluate key candidate projects
that have significant business services reuse potential and deliver Services
Candidate Architecture for them as Proof of Concepts
• SOA Center of Excellence: a focal point for reinforcing and promoting
SOA recommended principles and reuse of current processes, procedures,
frameworks, standards and compliance.
For more specific information on SOA Path, send an email to
soa-info@sun.com.
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