computerwoche.de

Archiv

Users test expanded IBM SOA offerings

10.04.2006
It's wasn't so much the maturation of technology that prompted Jim Haney, CIO at Harley-Davidson Inc., to implement a service-oriented architecture (SOA). It was the realization that "I don't have a lot of other tricks to pull out of my IT toolbox," he explained.

Haney opted to "decouple" various IT systems at the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer and move toward implementing an SOA after deciding that Harley-Davidson developers can't continue to build software the same way it has been built for the past 20 years, he said.

"Projects have to show returns much quicker," he said. "You need to be a lot more flexible."

Haney spoke during a teleconference that IBM held last week to unveil a slew of new SOA products, upgrades and services.

Seamless changes

Harley-Davidson is testing IBM WebSphere middleware tools for use in an SOA initiative. The company's goal is to use Web services to build business processes that can be quickly changed to match shifting needs, Haney said.