Countrywide's extended service

Some of the most interesting applications of service-oriented architecture may be those that are extended outwards to create new customer value. Countrywide Global Markets, a division of Countrywide Financial Corp. that specializes in mortgage-processing and -underwriting systems, is providing an array of services for Barclays Bank and other clients.

"A services-oriented architecture means Countrywide Global can extend its mortgage-processing services to additional mortgage originators, integrating their systems into its operations in 60 to 90 days," says chief technology officer Jim Pierce in Information Week.

The modular architecture enables Countrywide Global to offer individual services, such as mortgage quoting or underwriting, as opposed to requiring clients to purchase an all-encompassing package. This is helping Countrywide open up new, high-value, mortgage-processing markets that might otherwise prove inaccessible.

"We're in a very competitive business," adds Pierce. "We have to have our developers working on business logic for new products, not the plumbing."