HP, meanwhile, is expanding its SOA Competency Center program, with the company planning to open facilities in Cupertino, Calif.; Singapore; and Bangalore, India. The Cupertino and Bangalore facilities open on Monday; the Singapore site opens next month. The company in 2005 opened its first SOA Competency Centers in Sophia Antipolis, France, and Tokyo.

HP bills the SOA Competency Centers as "comprehensive experience centers" enabling customers and partners to evaluate SOA technologies and implementations. HP capabilities in IT architecture, management, security and governance are showcased at the centers.

Customers at these facilities participate in executive briefings, discovery workshops, and demonstrations and learn about horizontal and vertical solutions for SOA, said Terri Schoenrock, executive director for SOA with HP Services Consulting and Integration. Partner technologies also are featured and proofs of concept are developed.

"For our customers, one of the key questions around SOA is, is it going to work for me in my environment?" Schoenrock said.

HP anticipates the three new facilities will host hundreds of visits per month. The centers are part of HP's $500 million investment in SOA, HP said.