Howard said the office will have a better online presence and a stronger client server architecture after the SOA makeover is finished.

"While the transitional approach may take a bit longer, it provides us a reduced risk approach and allows us to investigate how we use SOA to integrate our own applications with other agencies which we deal with," he said.

The initial changes are designed to "build capability and improve efficiency" according to Howard. Each upgrade phase is assessed in segments of code which allows IT to tweak code, even within the core stream, without impacting business processes.

He said lead times to develop new applications will diminish as they become more familiar with the tools used.

The four years of the plan have been approved which involves the SOA implementation, improvements to operational functionality and system upgrades to maintain supportability.

The SRO began the project by upgrading its Oracle platforms from 6G to 10G and made upgrades to its OSI model (Open Systems Interconnection Basic Reference Model) from the data layer to the application layer.

"Right now we are solidifying direction, and creating foundation principles. Next year we will refine core segments and will improve code where it makes business sense," Howard said.

Future changes include implementing service enabled code segments from the Oracle SOA suite, while reducing impact to SRO customers.

SOA requires homework rather than cash, according to Howard. To get SOA buy-in, sell the savings, not the technology.

"A friend sold SOA to his managers with a slideshow and a power drill [with a foreign power socket] for a prop. He explained the drill is useless if it doesn't fit in the wall. But if electricity was SOA, everyone would run off the same voltage and use the same plugs."