Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a business-driven concept based on a
style of architecture that uses loosely coupled services and components to
support the requirements of business processes and users. It is evolutionary
in terms of its distributed computing approach (software running on multiple
platforms) and modular programming style.
The value of SOA is in its ability to create "building blocks" of functions
or services that can be rapidly and cost-effectively connected into the
existing business infrastructure. Previously, software programs were written
as monolithic, closed, integrated programs. The addition of each new feature
impacted the entire program, requiring a full program test for each program
code update. SOA's distributed computing approach and modular programming
style avoids this by creating "building blocks" of functions or services that
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