From a SaaS delivery perspective, SOA is what separates the current generation of SaaS providers, epitomized by the likes of Salesforce.com and NetSuite.com, from the failed application service providers (ASPs) of the dot-com era. From a consumption perspective, you certainly don't require a SOA to use SaaS, but if you want to effectively mix and match external services with on-premise assets and services, SOA will make it possible to efficiently build, deploy and manage composite apps.

We explore the relationship between SaaS and SOA, two emerging approaches for delivering IT functionality, applications and end-to-end business processes. If you're thinking of using SaaS, look beyond the buzzwords and price points, and make sure there is the solid foundation of SOA; without it, there's little chance that service will scale and flexibly change with your needs. And if you're building or considering SOA within your enterprise, keep in mind that SaaS offerings (and lower-level services) will be crucial ingredients that will help you quickly deliver composite applications without getting bogged down in development.

SOURCE: Intelligent Enterprise

Intelligent Enterprise Magazine: SaaS and SOA: Together Forever

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