Service Oriented Architecture is, in its basic form, is essentially a group of services within a business or company which communicate and interact with each other.  The communication or interaction could involve simply passing data between services or can involve the more complex coordination of two or more services coordinating an activity.

The use of SOA architecture is not a new concept.  Before the advent of the internet and web based services SOA was and still is used to enable companies or businesses to work effectively.  The use of SOA has promoted a dramatic change in the relationship between IT and the business.  This relationship is a positive one that enables the business to develop.

To define SOA Architecture further it is necessary to look at each of the terms of SOA independently and how they work together and communicate.

The concept of architecture when applied through SOA is similar to that of the architecture function when building a house.  Almost everything that is build or constructed is done so using an underlying design.  This design known as the architecture,  can be simple or complex and serves to create order and organise the programs which helps the business.

The second part of SOA refers to the term service and or services.  Business services can be defined as ‘the logical encapsulation of business function.’( Hurwitz 19  ) which means that when you bring everything together that is involved in achieving a particular function within the business this bundle of things is referred to as a business service.  An example of business services could be all the steps that a computer company takes to fill an order for a customer.  All the processes done with the customer such as what type, colour, processor etc can be bundled up and referred to as the order taking service and the building of the computer comes under the computer building services.

When the two concepts of SOA are implemented business managers like SOA architecture as it allows the business to concentrate more on business and less on the technology side of things.  An example of this could be the plumbing in a house.  The pipes are there in the walls, you cannot see them but they are working – similarly with SOA the structure is there working mostly invisible with in the business.