Service Oriented Architecture Field Guide for Executives

8.3. WEB SERVICES MATURITY MODEL

^[]United Kingdom–based CBDI Forum promotes the oldest service maturity model (circa 2003) of the bunch. CBDI defines a business and technology maturity model that centers on Web Services as the dominate technology components within an SOA infrastructure.

Model Basics

Given its legacy, the model assumes XML-based Web Services as a key technology enabler for SOA. These services and the corresponding infrastructure are matured and enhanced in phases. Within each phase, technology and organizational implications are addressed. The model defines four major phases that organizations move through in the process of transitioning to a service oriented environment:

1. Early learning. Focus is on technology services and better application integration.

2. Integration. Focus is on business drivers, process modeling, and service orchestration.

3. Reengineering. Focus is on measuring and monitoring SOA and organizational transformation.

4. Maturity. Service ubiquity, federation, and collaboration exist within a customer-centric and process-driven environment.

The model goes on to discuss timelines, custom roadmaps, and best practices for applying these phases.

Model Details

To better understand the model, each phase will be described in greater detail followed by an examination of CBDI's service model.

The early learning phase is an exploratory phase in which the focus is on technology services and better application integration. Activity is largely directed internally as existing ...