Service Oriented Architecture:
Service-oriented architecture (SOA) provides methods for systems development and integration where systems package functionality as interoperable services. A SOA infrastructure allows different applications to exchange data with one another.
Flexibility: Since service interfaces according to SOA are stable, and service implementations are transparent for the consumers, SOA provides the prerequisites for applications in which higher-level functionality implemented by the service consumer can be modified without having to change the underlying service functionality.
Productivity: If the services are well defined, it is very efficient to build and advance SOA-based applications once a pool of services is available.
Adaptability: SOA facilitates the integration of different applications, thanks to the use of open and non-proprietary standards. This allows customers to easily integrate applications from different application vendors into their IT landscape.