Whats REA All About?
Rich Enterprise Applications (REAs) are an exciting new class of enterprise Web 2.0 business application. Like the more widely-known Rich Internet Application (RIA), a REA offers huge advances in usability and interactivity. But a REA extends far beyond a simple RIA to also integrate seamless connectivity between Ajax-based Web applications and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) business services. REAs consume SOA services for rapid application creation and deployment. True REA solutions consume SOA services produced from any standards-driven middleware or third-party service provider. It’s important to note that REAs are not a competitor or replacement for products or service firms focused on producing and exposing SOA services-rather, REAs complement and leverage the services produced by these efforts. REAs “put a face on SOA” by delivering Web-based applications that use information exposed in SOA services. REAs leverage your investment in SOA and the power of Ajax, and combine the
