What Is Service-Oriented Architecture

webservices.xml.com: What Is Service-Oriented Architecture: "SOA Defined and Explained
Now we are able to define a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). SOA is an architectural style whose goal is to achieve loose coupling among interacting software agents. A service is a unit of work done by a service provider to achieve desired end results for a service consumer. Both provider and consumer are roles played by software agents on behalf of their owners."