Readiness Survey Shows Almost Half
of the UK's Businesses Approaching Flexible IT
Reading, UK, 19 March 2008 - Oracle, the world's
largest enterprise software company, has teamed up with Oracle PartnerNetwork
Certified Partner, Griffiths Waite, in its efforts to successfully
steer UK businesses toward service-oriented architecture (SOA).
Birmingham-based systems integrator Griffiths Waite has
launched an online readiness survey, utilising Oracle's
SOA Maturity Model for measuring an enterprise's technology
infrastructure development, to provide a tool for UK companies wanting
to understand where they are on the road to achieving SOA.
Piloted last year, the survey has already been undertaken
by 180 organisations and produced findings that indicate
a large number of businesses currently have SOA development in motion.
According to Hugh Griffiths, co-founder and director of Griffiths
Waite: "SOA adoption is growing and the main drivers for
both business and IT are the benefits of a flexible IT architecture
that can support ongoing business change."
Of the organisations surveyed, 47 percent were actively
focused on achieving a SOA environment with the majority
of those in the process of moving or planning a move to SOA.
A further 49 percent of those implementing SOA said more
adaptable architecture, in order to support ongoing business change
was the main reason for the shift, while 14 percent said SOA would
allow them to maximise long-term IT investment
through using industry standards.
"The message is clear: SOA has reached a point where organisations
see the value, have undertaken pilots and are at the point of implementing
real world applications in a SOA environment", said Alan
Hartwell, Vice President, Technology Solutions and Channels, Oracle
UK, Ireland and Israel.
Based on extensive experience and work with customers and partners
implementing SOA, the Oracle SOA Maturity Model gives decision
makers a point of reference to evaluate the SOA maturity level of
their organisations and practical insight on how to achieve their
goals.
"The Oracle SOA Maturity Model puts forth a realistic
business and technology view of what it takes for companies to successfully
adopt SOA," said Mr Griffiths. "The Maturity
Model serves as a means for companies to understand the capabilities
that are central to a successful SOA and a tool to help them chart
SOA plans."

From March, the Griffiths Waite SOA Readiness Survey will be available
online at a new website www.soa247.co.uk
which includes insight from independent IT analyst company Butler
Group. Griffiths Waite also has plans to promote the survey to businesses
throughout Europe and it is hoped companies moving toward SOA will
make regular use of the tool.
"Oracle has established a very strong and broad coverage
of the SOA infrastructure market and has successfully integrated
its several acquisitions to create a coherent suite of capabilities.
Griffiths Waite is doing great work to help UK business understand
how to put these technologies into place and draw real benefit from
SOA", said Tim Jennings, Research Director Butler
Group.
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