Business requirements driven SOA

Too many SOA projects focus on assumed – or worse, fictional – business requirements. Such requirementss are often not the real organisational, technological or availability concerns of the business.

 Let me explain; SOA usually comes with pre-determined baggage. IT leaders know the principles and they have a list of expected benefits, such as interoperability and resource re-use.

 But be careful not to weigh down your SOA project with your expectations, rather than your users’ requirements. After all, your initiative must map exactly to the goals of the business.

 And for that reason, you should forget creating an over-arching aim of developing a system-oriented approach that works to a specific technical flavour.

 SOA is much more than standards-based integration and much more than web services, which is in effect another protocol. If you look beyond standards and take an inherently flexible approach, SOA can allow the business to make timely and cost effective changes to business processes.

 Rather than working to a pre-determined set of rules, you should have an open approach that relies on your IT people documenting the real requirements of users.

 Start small, establish an effective way of working alongside the business and then identify the real requirements for SOA. Not all users will be able to modify processes; not all services will be generic across the business and worthy of a service-oriented approach.

 The business will have a series of wider strategic goals that are likely to relate to customer service, efficiency and innovation. SOA can help meet targets in such areas, but only if the flexible processes of service-orientation are tightly co-ordinated with the requirements of the business.

 As an IT leader, you must work with the business to identify processes that can be decoupled and easily modified. Think of how SOA’s specific technical approach – such as re-use and integration – can be used to create specific solutions for business problems.

 When the business says it wants to innovate quickly, think of how SOA can be used to re-use resources and reduce time delays. When the business says it wants to cut costs and improve operational efficiency, think of how SOA can be used to build a single, integrated platform.

 Rather than technical standards, business requirements should be king. Decouple data from underlying applications – and when workflow demands change, users will be able to make simple modifications.

 And then your open ear to business requirements will mean SOA can help drive growth.

Small is most definitely beautiful

Compliance remains a crucial technology issue. IT leaders have been smothered by a raft of regulatory requirements in the last few years, and the combined hit of environmental concerns and the economic downturn is only likely to make matters worse.

Take the finance sector, where a recent survey by the International Securities Association for Institutional Trade Communication noted that 25% of firms have already been affected by increased compliance requirements due to the economic crisis.

Understanding and dealing with compliance is, therefore, crucial. But be warned, big vendors and system integrators are likely to push issues like governance, quality assurance and lifecycle management.

While important in the right business context, such issues are also likely to provide an opportunity to become tied to processes and standards. And an obsession with standards creates the need for big models and increased complexity.

Such an obsession is likely to be a hindrance to what is actually useful for the business. And at a time of increased regulatory compliance, further processes and standards are just what your business does not need.

The chief executive will need you to cut through the waffle and provide a simple means for staying up-to-date and compliant. Thankfully, the composite nature of service-oriented architecture (SOA) provides a way round complex compliance and allows you to create small, successful systems.

Rather than creating vast and unconnected applications, SOA allows the IT leader to re-use resources and create applications on-demand. Such agility will allow you to promote a flexible architecture that is ready for fast-changing compliance requirements.

Forget the fear that you will have to fit systems to laws retrospectively. SOA will allow the IT department to integrate with the business and create compliant systems as new regulations emerge.

And the front-tier of SOA will be particularly crucial, allowing you to create a useful presentation layer that allows line-of-business executives to monitor information and ensure new targets are being met.

Take note, then, of agility, integration, presentation – the three watchwords that will help you use SOA to ensure your business responds flexibly to changing compliance demands.

Devices: What comes first, the device or the application?

 

The new age of collaboration and mobility is a wonderful thing – colleagues and connections can be contacted any time, anywhere.

 

Individuals with all-singing and all-dancing handheld devices, such as iPhones, BlackBerrys and smartphones, can stay connected through a variety of applications.

 

The result is that users are busily downloading applications for a range of devices. From instant messaging to Facebook and from current affairs to games, individuals are finding ways to run loved applications on their favourite devices.

 

It all sounds like a new, collaborative age – but sometimes, we’re just too clever for our own good and user experiences can be patchy. The main problem is that the chosen method of application development is often the wrong way round.

 

Most organisations are prioritising devices. As a result, many businesses recognise more of their customers are using high power mobile devices and are retrofitting their existing applications to handheld devices.

 

Sounds good, in theory – but the problem is that most applications are designed with one platform in mind. And as applications are pushed across platforms, users are often left with is a poor quality experience.

 

In practice, we should create an alternative method of development: a need for software should be identified, and the application then created and designed for a specific device.

 

Second, when considering whether to put an application on a device, companies must also consider whether the tool is appropriate for the device.

 

How many people chose to do their online banking through a TV? Would you look at your bank statements in front of your family and friends? More specifically, would you want to fill out a lengthy mortgage application form on a mobile phone?

 

Other examples are not hard to find. How will workers make best use of essential enterprise applications – such as word processing and spreadsheet software – in the mobile age?

 

Such questions require a significant step change in the way we create applications – in short, businesses must recognise that the design of the application, and a consideration of the device, is absolutely crucial.

 

Once firms have decided the functionality is appropriate they can then design for the specific screen estate. This method will help prevent over-invention and ensure users are exploiting the right channel for the right purpose.

 

Certain applications – such as word processing, social networking and location-based services – are quickly becoming a mobile necessity. Your workers will expect to have devices that provide an intuitive link to their favourite applications.

 

We have a fantastic opportunity to allow our employees to collaborate in new and innovative ways – but only if our mobile devices allow us to make best use of our favourite applications.

The 2nd Wave of Mobile Applications

From the banking crisis to rising unemployment levels, the downturn has had a number of damaging effects.

 Losing your job and struggling to repay your mortgage is an all too visible sign of the recession. But some affects are more underlying.

 Businesses – and IT leaders, more specifically – are continually being told of the need to innovate their way out of the downturn. Attend any conference at the moment and the message is the same: those that continue to invest will be best prepared for an upturn.

 So much for the rhetoric – while it is one thing aiming for innovation, it is quite another investing in new areas of business IT. Having to account closely for all areas of spending means some projects are being delayed or shelved.

 The consequential affects on innovation are clear. And mobile device development is one outlying area of development that has been affected by the recession. In particular, the downturn has helped apply the breaks on the quicker emergence of a second wave of mobile devices.

 User spending on mobile entertainment services will slow dramatically, increasing by nearly $13bn during the next five years, according to Juniper Research. The analyst previously predicted pre-downturn growth of $26bn (see further reading, below).

 The new figure represents a significant drop. But $13bn still represents a considerable increase when other areas of IT and telecom development are stalling.

 And while spending on high cost content is slower than might have been anticipated, businesses are continuing to invest is in the area of mobile services.

 Analysts suggest mobile social networking, applications and broadband will continue to receive significant investment (see further reading), helping to support the emerging bandwagon of a ‘desktop in your pocket’.

 Take Apple’s iPhone, with its excellent web-browser rendering and billion-selling, or freely downloaded, apps (see further reading). The success of the iPhone shows how users are already benefiting from a second wave of mobility, where individuals can stay connected and create knowledge through an easy-to-use interface.

 Reports suggest the level of mobile and online activity is increasing in importance, with people today spending more than 20% of their time consuming ‘new media’ (see further reading).

 The message is clear. When times are tight, businesses are unlikely to spend on expensive content that has an indeterminate value. At the same time, they will continue to invest on usable mobile technologies that help boost collaboration and provide access to information.

 So when the green shoots of recovery sprout, make sure your business users already have access to a desktop in the pocket.

  

Further reading

 http://www.telecomseurope.net/article.php?id_article=8344

 http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-sells-1-billion-iphone-apps-three-times-faster-than-it-sold-1-billion-itunes-songs-2009-4

 http://mobile.broadbandgenie.co.uk/news/most-operators-looking-to-invest

 http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/78/35223.html

Wake up to the power of the web browser

Are you still using the desktop; still choosing to access enterprise applications through Windows?

It can be difficult to break away from accepted ways of working. Managing such a break is even more complicated when the business is bamboozled by a series of marketing buzzwords.

The big hype of the moment is cloud computing, a generic term used to describe the provision of scalable enterprise services over the web. Rather than having to access applications through a traditional desktop interface, businesses can use the cloud to host applications and store data.

As many as nine out of ten C-level executives know what cloud computing is and what it can do, according to a recent survey by consultancy Avanade and Kelton Research (see further reading, below).

But at the same time, 61% of senior managers are not currently using cloud technologies. For the majority, it is probably time you woke up to the power of the web browser.

Working through a web browser is no longer a niche activity. Salesfore.com and Google Apps are high profile and popular examples of how users can access applications through a web browser.

Such cloud-based software suites mean users can enter the browser and work collaboratively on essential documents. The high quality of services also means users can also benefit from the functionality of traditional desktop software, such as drag and drop, and multiple interfaces.

There are still issues to overcome, of course. Some businesses remained concerned about hosting information outside the corporate firewall. And recent problems with Google Mail show how failure of the cloud could derail essential business processes.

Such issues mean providers will have to develop secure methods for accessing browser-based applications offline, as well as online. However, such problems are minimal given the quick development of cloud computing.

Businesses often need a high profile sponsor to help push new technologies. When it comes to browser-based apps, there can be no more prestigious supporter than Vivek Kundra, the new CIO of the United States and a confirmed fan of Google Apps (see further reading).

What’s more, the recession is likely to push interest in cost effective and hosted applications. The Avanade and Kelton research also found that 54% of executives use technology to cut costs.

In these economically sensitive times and with an increasing high level of functionality, the web browser can help your IT department provide a great customer experience.

Further reading

Cloud computing is a two-edged sword
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Gardner/?p=2841

The new US CIO is a fan of Google Apps
http://blogs.computerworld.com/obama_cio_vivek_kundra_white_house_cio

What is the marketplace asking for?

There are a lot of people with their heads in the clouds. Proof comes in the form of the recession, with many so-called experts suggesting the financial situation is far from horrific.

Prominent business leaders remain hopeful, with some suggesting the upturn could come by the end of the year (see further reading, below). It is time to get real.

Such sentiment is dangerous because the worst is still to come, with other stories emanating from the media elucidating quite how dire the situation has become.

The Times reported recently that the UK is expected to be the worst hit of the major EU economies, with the British jobless total set to hit 2.55 million by the end of the year.

It also noted that consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers has told its clients to ensure their business can bear a 5% decline in the economy during 2009.

Smart IT leaders have already realised that the downturn is here to stay. Don’t expect an upturn by the end of this year. Next year will also be hard and we might not see the much-desired green shoots of recovery until 2011.

In such an economically constrained environment, how can small companies focus on development processes that lower costs and meet specific business issues?

UK IT trade body Intellect believes that when the upturn comes the technology industry will be at the core of new growth opportunities. And the entrepreneurial nature of Britain’s small businesses will help drive innovation.

Such opportunities will rely on small firms establishing the right approach to technology. The best-placed firms will look at how automation can remove cost from the business and improve efficiency.

Entrepreneurial spirit comes from a desire to give talented workers the power to create and innovate. Technology is clearly no exception to this rule and you should investigate how your valued employees can become end-user developers.

The devolution of IT development power will give your firm the flexibility to meet the changing demands of clients. Remember that what the marketplace is asking for right now is smart, flexible processes.

Small businesses have an inherent advantage over their larger, slower-moving rivals. Enjoy the opportunity to change.

Further reading

A way out of the recession?
http://www.mad.co.uk/Main/News/Articlex/8ecb83dde88f41048a60635e5ed54408/Marketers-can-lead-way-out-of-recession.html

World in grip of great recession
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article5880559.ece

IT industry reviews innovation support
http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=19310

Putting the power of a desktop in your pocket

It wasn’t so long ago – fifteen years, in many cases – that most companies were buying their first PCs.

During the last few years, most businesses have opted to eschew desktop computers in favour of a lighter laptop option. But the trend is changing again – and quickly.

The speed of development, both in processing power and mobile capability, means devices are getting smaller. The recent Mobile World Congress helped elucidate this point: the web – and an associated range of content and applications – is moving from the desktop to the pocket.

Providers are developing technologies and software that can help workers deal with information on the move. So, how will such changes in wireless networking affect businesses?

First, flexibility – you can forget being chained to a bulky PC at your desk. Smaller and more powerful devices will allow workers to use a broad staple of enterprise applications in the field.

Second, usability – the increasing power of mobile devices means real-time processing and monitoring becomes a certainty. Customised mobile applications will allow users to react quickly to crucial business intelligence, improving customer service and efficiency.

Third, collaboration – the ability to contact staff through various platforms at any time means companies will be able to quickly develop new modes of work. Cloud-based applications, for example, will enable teams of employees to log-on independently and create joint working documents.

Finally, innovation – new working methods will help your people think and operate in different ways. People can concentrate on exchanging ideas, rather than waiting for an email to arrive.

Positive changes in networking mean IT leaders will also have to keep a tight grip on security policies. It is great that your company’s workers can communicate on the go – but businesses must ensure workers know how to use mobile information in a safe and secure manner.

Such developments mean mobile security is likely to be the next big area for standards and compliance. And when it comes to working in the cloud, the ability to use applications both on and offline will be key to enterprise development.

But if you keep on top of any potential challenges, your workers will be able to benefit from the big four changes – flexibility, usability, collaboration and innovation.

Does SOA mean software-oriented agility?

What was previously very bad just got a whole lot worse. Last year, everyone was talking about a downturn. Now the word is recession.

It’s an important difference: the downturn might have been a temporary blip, but the recession is likely to be prolonged and deep.

With financial budgets likely to be constrained, your options are likely to be limited and meeting business needs is likely to be tougher than ever. So do you want to engineer a way out of the recession?

Your first port of call should be software-oriented architecture, a system for linking resources on-demand that allows you to re-use existing components in new and exciting combinations.

Sounds good – but IT captains steering the choppy waves of the recession should avoid simply dropping anchor at SOA.

The word ‘architecture’ in SOA suggests a once-and-for model; an all-encompassing method for matching user needs with computing resources. If only it was that it easy.

The fast pace of economic and business change means your model for technology use will have to be adapted. It means service-orientation should be seen as no more than a initial destination that helps you work your IT resources smarter and more effectively.

Instead, successful IT departments and successful SOA strategies will be agile, able to respond to changing business demands as quickly and easily as possible.

SOA should be more usefully viewed as software-oriented agility, a flexible way to meet business needs in a time of increasing financial prudence.

Agile software development methodologies promote reflection, inspection and adaptation. Its inherent practices encourage business and IT alignment, providing a snug fit with the re-use principles of software-oriented architecture.

Which means you can start to breath easily again. The recession will provide constraints but IT leaders that adopt software-oriented agility are likely to be best prepared.

Time for a virtual reality check

Regular readers will know my passion for end-user development (EUD), a means for giving more power to the business to create useful applications.

Line-of-business employees now have the knowledge and tools to produce their own useful applications. And while EUD might have seemed a ‘nice to have’ several months ago, it has quickly moved to a ‘business must have’.

A heady mix of limited cash, increased consumerisation of IT and fast-changing business priorities mean the trend is catching on. But despite the benefits of EUD, there is one potential downside – applications designed by end users might not work across multiple environments.

A tool that works fine on an individual’s desktop might not install successfully across the corporate network. And if an application is to help boost business efficiency, it will have to work for many users in many different circumstances.

But do not be too concerned by the potential downside, because a good EUD tool will overcome such concerns. One possible route to success is model driven architecture (MDA), a software design approach for the development of software systems.

MDA is a platform-independent model that allows end-users to separate design and architecture issues. The result should be de-coupling and the easy transference of applications across multiple environments.

Despite the promise of MDA, some concerns remain – notably that the approach relies on incomplete technical standards and that its forward-looking method is too realistic for many real-world situations.

For EUD to become de facto, technology and business teams need to know the resources to help develop applications are easily are at-hand. And virtualisation provides another method for EUD, a cost effective solution that allows your IT team and your end users to run and test multiple applications.

Virtualisation allows IT managers to partition existing resources to run multiple versions of an operating system. The approach could be your best friend during testing times.

If you’re thinking of moving to EUD, don’t be put off by the thought of needing more resources. New applications might suggest the need for new hosting environments and large scale testing programmes. But such fears are misplaced.

Rather than having to retrofit applications, IT leaders can use the easily deployed resources of virtualisation to run a potential solution across multiple end-user desktop environments.

Companies continue to look to virtualisation, despite wider cost constraints – analyst Gartner says spending will increase by 43% this year, from $US1.9bn in 2008 to $US2.7bn.

Most of you will have already seen some of the benefits of virtualisation at an infrastructure level. Now it’s time to start thinking about how the approach can be used to create useful applications in challenging times.

New working practices and the seven-day weekend

The three-day working week of the early 1970s was a political reaction to intractable challenges posed through industrial action.

Sometimes reactions can be used to create new models of working and there was a time when UK workers might have expected the long-term adoption of a four or three-day working week.

Such changes never materialised, most workers still work a full five-day week – but transformation is afoot, often sponsored by fast-evolving internet technologies.

BlackBerry owners will be familiar with the new feeling of hyper-connectivity. Not so long ago, office email was a Monday-to-Friday, nine-to-five technology.

Then you get a BlackBerry and can access email anytime, hardly noticing how regularly you check emails during the weekend.

But while no executive can resist the call of the flashing red light on a BlackBerry, some semblance of moderation is required.

While technology can be a facilitator for 24/7 access, it can also be a conduit for more flexible and sensible working practices.

Such freedom means workers no longer have to be tied to a desk, constrained by the rigid definition of a five-day working week.

Smart employers are beginning to use available IT to allow their workers to contribute from various locations at any time of the day.

And what is emerging in these smarter firms is not a reduced working week but increased flexibility that might be better described as a seven-day weekend.

Trusted employees are logging-in at a broader collection of times, fitting their working arrangements around their external commitments.

Rather than just creating a more effective work/life balance, technology is actually beginning to provide a better life/work balance – and those sort of priorities actually help employees feel more valued and work harder.