A Note to the General Reader

We'd like to address the reader who is stretching to understand software of any kind.

We hear a whisper from behind us. "Please! You can't expect someone who lacks a background in software to understand the details of SOA!" The objection is duly noted, and now we have a story to tell.

We gave an early copy of this book to a professor of neuroscience, a man whose work clarifies how multiple genes affect brain function. After reading and pondering, the man asked, "What do you mean by 'run time'?" He spoke with us and soon came to his own conclusion: "Run time is the duration during which a unit of software (for example, an email program) is available for use."

We want to encourage readers who are unfamiliar with even the most basic concepts of software. SOA is not neuroscience. You can pick up a lot of the fundamentals quickly, and this book (with a little research) can introduce you to an important if hidden aspect of modern business.

Let's turn now to the specific technologies covered.