Data from a 2011-2012 SearchSOA.com survey suggests that, while building out a full service-oriented architecture (SOA) can be quite complex, having SOA infrastructure and governance in place can significantly simplify the challenges associated with keeping IT flexible enough to meet changing business needs.

Furthermore, implementing infrastructure and governance doesn't have to be a trade-off with keeping SOA "lightweight." In fact, as Forrester analyst Randy Heffner explains in this expert e-guide, while SOA can indeed be lightweight, "it cannot be done well without some degree of upfront thought. Otherwise you wind up with a haphazard and convoluted collection of services rather than a coherent and useful portfolio of services."

Continue reading this e-guide to discover more expert insights on how to approach SOA infrastructure and governance to ensure that your efforts are kept simple and lightweight while still accomplishing the ultimate goal of SOA: achieving greater IT agility.