Service Oriented Architecture in short allows companies to compose new web services or re-use existing web services.
eg: A check-driving-history module in an auto-insurance company software can be externalized as a web service.
Various SOA platforms provide tooling via eclipse plugins or standalone IDEs and run time environments (as application servers) to compose web services in different programming languages like BPEL, Java etc.
You can manage versions of your web services using the platform (eg: webservice_v1.1 talks to A and webservice_v1.2 talks to B).
You can add access control to your web services.
You can monitor your web services, start and stop them using the monitoring tools provided.
I've worked on a team that built a SOA platform. I am not sure if any existing platform delivers half the things it promises. It sure helps management feel that they are agile and can compose services quickly to changing business needs.
Various SOA platforms provide tooling via eclipse plugins or standalone IDEs and run time environments (as application servers) to compose web services in different programming languages like BPEL, Java etc.
You can manage versions of your web services using the platform (eg: webservice_v1.1 talks to A and webservice_v1.2 talks to B).
You can add access control to your web services.
You can monitor your web services, start and stop them using the monitoring tools provided.
I've worked on a team that built a SOA platform. I am not sure if any existing platform delivers half the things it promises. It sure helps management feel that they are agile and can compose services quickly to changing business needs.