Simplifying enterprise SOA

Flashline and Herzum Software recently announced a partnership to help organisations jumpstart their service-oriented architecture (SOA) programmes. Herzum Software is providing joint customers consulting services based on its COSM approach to advance strategic, enterprise-wide SOA initiatives facilitated by the Flashline for SOA registry/repository.

For customers using Flashline for SOA for the governance and lifecycle management of Web services and related assets, Herzum Software`s consulting services help address early-stage challenges critical for a successful SOA initiative.

These consulting services include development of an SOA roadmap, blueprinting of enterprise architecture, creation of architectural and organisational design/patterns, construction of business and common services, and implementation of SOA-based integration and interoperability technology, according to a company statement.

Insurancenetworking.Com reports that insurance firms that lack a cohesive vision and strategy across their entire enterprise are failing to take advantage of the bounty of newfound technological options available to them and are limiting their capacity for differentiation and growth.

This message, highlighted in the report "Business Architecture: Aligning Process, Content and Data to Enhance Profitability" by TowerGroup, a Needham, Massachusetts-based research and consulting firm, serves as a clarion call for insurers to embrace enterprise-wide initiatives now or else cede an important competitive advantage.

The insurers that will survive this competitive environment are those that leverage technology to advance their business and operations, writes Cynthia Saccocia, author of the report and research director of TowerGroup`s insurance practice.

Intergraph announced the successful cutover to live operations of its SmartPlant Enterprise implementation at Air Products` main engineering centres in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Hersham, UK.

The new system was implemented on schedule and is integrated with Intergraph`s engineering tools as well as Air Products` document management and enterprise resource planning systems.

The implementation included Intergraph`s integrated engineering tools operating in concert with Air Product`s SAP enterprise resource planning system, Tenlinks.com reports.