WCF presents a compelling technology for remoting, said TechEd attendee Sean Sparks, a senior systems analyst with Fluke Networks.

"It's certainly something I'd look to potentially deploy for a variety of applications," Sparks said.

Currently available in a beta form, WCF is due in a general release version as part of the Windows Vista operating system, which is scheduled to ship in 2007. WCF also will be available for use with some previous Microsoft Windows variants.

In shying away from the term SOA, Microsoft officials seek to avoid the use of a buzzword and want to focus on the architectural style of service orientation.