Web Application Development with Microsoft Technologies

Microsoft is investing a lot of effort and money in their new service oriented model, named S+S (Software + Services). But, what is S+S ?

From MS site: “It is the next generation of SOA and Web-based applications spanning “on premise” software and “in the cloud” services”, an approach Microsoft calls Software + Services.

Some time ago, SaaS architecture discovered a new way of delivering the software: hosting it and providing it as a service, trying to catch the long tail of consumers, using the web as the distribution channel.

SaaS also introduced several questions and issues about data and application domain ownership, SLAs, and required particular characteristics for the product in order to be suitable for this deliver method. This led also into issues for the given ISV to find a reliable hosting provider for selling their product to the mass of consumers while reducing the costs.

S+S is no more than a hibryd architecture trying to have the best of various worlds.

Basically we are talking about connecting a on-premise or on-PC software package (running in the client computer, PDA or other devices) with an ISB (Internet Service Bus - which is no more than a integration hub containing a set of well defined URIs, connecting points, providing unified access to services within the “cloud” (Internet) ) + services connected to this ISBs.

This model will then allow third party providers to join the cloud of services and the clients to have a custom (composite) version of their software installed in their devices while consuming many of these services integrated within the ISB (which actually works as an ESB and as an ecosystem for various services providers). VMs are a perfect match for assembling this user needs in an isolated space and having the web (cloud) as the environment for running the applications.

 So how is Microsoft supporting all these new trends? The set of technologies with the code name “OSLO” is the answer:

 All new versions for these well known existing products will be shipped during the current year. The target is to simplify the design, development and deployment of solutions based in this new architecture named S+S.

For more information about OSLO and how it will enable you to support your S+S and SaaS architectures you can visit http://www.microsoft.com/soa/products/oslo.aspx