This multiyear, multiproduct is planned to be built on the model-driven and service-enabled principles of Microsoft Dynamic IT, and extends the benefit of a service-oriented architecture (SOA).
The technology will allow Microsoft to offer software and services by providing extensions to the application platform that help developers to bridge the gap between on-premise and off-premise projects. This involves updates to BizTalk Server, THE .NET framework, and Visual Studio. This also includes an on-demand environment along the lines of Windows Live for assembling composite applications.
Oslo advancements will be delivered through Microsoft server and tools products in five areas, including server, web based services, .NET framework, Visual studio tools, and repository systems that include processes and web services metadata from BizTalk, code artifacts from Visual Studio, and artifacts from Visual Studio Team System.
The Oslo vision also features new technologies and tools such as .NET Framework and Visual Studio that are planned to be released on February 27, 2008. Microsoft also plans to launch Windows Server 2008, .NET Framework 3.5, and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 during the next year.
According to Microsoft, it has been investing in SOA and business-process management (BPM) technologies to improve connectivity using a service-oriented and model-driven approach for their customers. As part of Oslo, Microsoft plans to deliver unified platform integrating services and modeling applications.
Workflow Foundation is a new technology that is part of Vista’s WinFX programming framework that debuted with .NET 3.0. It provides the engine for building manual or automated workflows with Office 2007 SharePoint, and with this announcement, BizTalk process server.
Microsoft has not announced packaging or target dates for the rollout of Oslo vision.
Oslo will enable a new class of applications that are connected and streamlined from design through deployment reducing complexity, aligning the enterprise and Internet, and simplifying interoperability and management, said, Robert Wahbe, corporate vice president of the connected systems division at Microsoft.
In addition to Microsoft, Accenture and Avanade have also showcased their solutions on SOA at Microsoft’s corporate campus.
This new roadmap is in addition to Microsoft’s new services, launched in April 2007, on its BizTalk Server technology to help developers build new SOA-oriented applications.
Earlier in August, IBM had criticized Microsoft over its approach to service-oriented architecture, saying the software company offers a ‘lightweight messaging infrastructure’.
In June 2007, Accenture invested $450 million over three years on service-oriented architecture (SOA) capabilities.
Similarly, IBM also launched products to tap the $60 billion SOA market in 2006. The global SOA market is expected to grow at rate of 100% per year. According to market analysts, IBM’s global market share is estimated at 40%, followed by Microsoft and Oracle at 16% each. SAP, BEA Systems, and Sun Microsystems are the other major competitors in this market.
Source: ComputerWire daily updates
