Government contractors advised to SOA-ize future bids

In a sign of a potential massive impending shift of government systems to service-oriented architecture, one analyst firm advises technology firms looking for federal government contracts to think SOA.

Washington Technology quotes Input's Deniece Peterson, who says standardization is the rule these days in government systems. "Standardization is the backbone of SOA,” she said. “For providers who usually supply proprietary solutions, this will force them to find other ways to be best-of-breed.... providers who understand SOA and can market their offerings accordingly stand to gain."

Government agencies are not likely to send out requests for proposals for "SOA" in and of itself, Peterson said. Instead, SOA may be woven, perhaps subtley, throughout bid requests. “SOA opportunities may be buried in program requirements, mission support, or in task order purchasing,” she said.

This is something that is seen within the walls of enterprises as well. Business units may seek new features and functionality that call for SOA -- without calling it that.