What does the term “Service-Oriented Architecture” mean?
A service-oriented architecture (SOA) is an architectural strategy that you can use for greater interoperability and easier integration between your systems and with your business partners. It is an architectural strategy rather than an installable product, and it allows you to take advantage of open standards to communicate between systems and business partners. Even more, it can provide a platform for long-term change that you can leverage today to drive out cost and improve agility over time.