elemental links

SOA Zombies invade Boston, Film at 11:00…

…well, 11:00 on the evening of July 23.  As I mentioned on Business-Driven Architect, I’ll be hanging with the SOA Zombies, believers and one famous SOA obituary writer, at ZapThink’s “Night of the Living SOA Dead”:

“On July 23, 2009 dozens of experts, pundits, and influential guests will gather in Boston, MA for an evening of networking and discussion on the topics of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Enterprise Architecture (EA). Open to public enrollment and attendance, the topic of discussion for the panel will be the recent news and discussion about the "Death of SOA." Is SOA really dead? Is it dying? Or is it changing? And what about those that are currently doing something with SOA or even just interested in the topic? Are we the "living dead"?

As a way of encouraging dialogue, networking, and communication within the SOA and EA, ZapThink is hosts its evening ZapForum networking events throughout the world. At this upcoming event on July 23, 2009 in Boston, MA, guest experts expecting to attend include Anne Thomas Manes (Burton Group), Dana Gardner (Interarbor Solutions), Jason Bloomberg (ZapThink), Brenda Michelson (Elemental Links), Sandy Rogers, and Ronald Schmelzer (ZapThink).”

The gathering is Thursday, July 23, 2009, 5:30PM-8PM ET @ M.J. O'Connor's Irish Pub, 27 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA 02116.  For more information go here.  But before you do that, note this 50% off discount code: PRTDISC.

Still time to brag about your S-O-A Success --- Contest Deadline Extended until July 20, 2009

By popular demand, the deadline for the SOA Consortium | CIO magazine SOA Case Study contest has been extended until July 20, 2009.  The contest is a great way to recognize your organization, garner industry-wide praise for your hard working project team, and as Dave Linthicum suggests, contribute your knowledge and experience to further industry best practices. 

The entrance requirements and submission are simple.  To qualify, your organization (business or government, any size) must have successfully delivered business or mission value using a SOA approach. That’s it.  No membership, no fees, just brag about your success.

As for the submission itself, we understand your time is in high-demand.  To submit your story, merely answer the following 7 questions:

1. What was the business challenge or problem addressed by the SOA project, and why was SOA selected to address this? (500 words max)

2. When was the project started, how large was the project and how was it funded, and how long did it take to see results? (300 words max)

3. What was the planned and achieved ROI/Business Value (ie, improved agility, innovation, flexibility, optimization, resilience)? (500 words max)

4. How was the SOA Project team organized and what types of business staff were on the team? How was cross-organization collaboration (Business/Technical) achieved? Was a Center of Excellence or Competency Center created? (300 words max)

5. What technology or software was used in the project? What vendors were involved? Was service reuse taken into consideration? What was the most complex technical challenge encountered? (300 words max)

6. What were the most significant lessons learned from the SOA project? (300 words max)

7. How has the challenging economic climate influenced your SOA project? (300 words max)

Need more information?  Learn more about the contest, read about last year’s winners or get the scoop on last year’s judging.  Still more?  Check out what (my fellow) SOA-rati are saying – Dave, Joe, and ZapThink.

Ready to start your submission?  Go here.  Good Luck! 

 

[Disclosure: The SOA Consortium is a client of my firm, Elemental Links.]