Migrating to service-oriented systems (Why and how to avoid developing customized software applications from scratch)

This paper presents a case for using standard services rather than developing one´s own customized nuts and bolts software. It illustrates the size and complexity of object-oriented applications and defines what it costs to maintain them. The increasing maintenance burden is the main cause of the personnel shortage in many developed countries. The point is made that users cannot go on producing more and more code with an increasingly higher technical debt. The migration to a service-oriented architecture is one way to escape the maintenance trap but users must be prepared to make compromises. They must adapt their requirements to the services available. The paper argues that requirement documents are still necessary, however not so much to drive development but to serve as a test oracle and a basis of comparison between alternate services. The argument is put forth that a paradigm change is necessary in the way IT-projects are made. Software Engineering should take a more service-oriented approach.