Sunday, October 02, 2005

Dear CIO, I Can See Your Underwear!

Not so long ago I predicted that CIO's would lose their job due to failed SOA implementations. A few people told me I was over reacting so I took some time to think it over. I'm done thinking it over. Here is where I landed:

CIO'S WILL LOSE THEIR JOB BASED ON FAILED SOA IMPLEMENTATIONS.

Here is why:
1. Unlike many past I.T. initiatives, the SOA initiatives can EASILY be audited. Frank Martinez taught me the phrase, "Show me the WSDL!" I use it all the time. I say, "How's you SOA program going? ... Really, that's great - show me the WSDL'S!" And some poor architect squirms around giving excuses and tells me that he can't do it easily... at that point, I go for the jugular and drill him on why the service definitions aren't in his registry.

2. Most organizations have completed their 'enterprise application portfolio' - often with the total number of applications exceeding 1,000. This portfolio is often referred to as the 'functional footprint'. Corporations are attempting to service enable their entire footprint. Most companies are less than 1/10 of 1% of the way there. In addition, many of them will proudly brag that they've been working on service enablement for 2 years plus. Rarely do these geniuses do the math to determine that unless they pick up the pace they won't complete their task until the 22nd century.

I talk to so many companies about their SOA program - and they all say the same damn thing: "Well, we only have X services done but that's ok because we're doing it incrementally."

There is a HUGE difference between SLOW and INCREMENTAL. It won't take long before the I.T. auditors catch on to the math. In a service oriented world, your underwear shows - there is no hiding. Organizations must determine how to create service oriented enterprises FAST, CORRECT and INCREMENTAL.

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