In the deal, webMethods will gain Infravio's X-Registry Platform, an advanced registry/repository that emphasizes policy lifecycle management. The capabilities of X-Registry, which also help IT govern the development and runtime interaction of services, should be highly useful to webMethods as it moves more aggressively into the crowded SOA arena.

Consolidation among SOA software providers has been rampant. In January, Mercury bought Systinet. A lesser-known player in the same space, Flashline, was purchased by BEA last month. The remaining pure-play of note is LogicLibrary, whose Logidex registry/repository emphasizes governance of software development assets.

So is it "game over" for smaller SOA players? Not by a long shot, according to Miko Matsumura, vice president of technology standards at Infravio.

Matsumura believes the industry is only in the "third or fourth inning" of the SOA game. "The 'players' in this one will be pretty good-sized, so these acquisitions are really players getting suited up for the big game," he said.