Evans Dev Survey Identifies SOA, Interop Trends

Evans Data Corp. has released its bi-annual look at trends among enterprise developers and architects. The Evans' Fall 2005 North American Developer Survey found provocative trends on three key integration trends - web services (may have peaked), SOA (optimistic but very patient) and Java-to.NET interop (quite a split). IDN takes a look at Evans findings for these topics, which come from more than 400 interviews.

by Vance McCarthy

Tags: Web Services, Evans, North American Developer, Java, Architects/devs, Trends, Opinion,


Evans Data Corp. has released its bi-annual look at trends among enterprise developers and architects. Evans' Fall 2005 North American Developer Survey found provocative trends on three key integration trends - web services (may have peaked), SOA (optimistic but very patient) and Java-to.NET interop (quite a split). IDN takes a look at Evans findings for these topics, which come from more than 400 interviews.

I. Enterprise Web Services:
Overall, Evans researchers note that almost half (49%) of devs/architects have already deployed a web services-based solution - or expect to deploy one within six months.

While that may sound encouraging, Evans says the trending responses to this question over the past year or so may indicate that web services adoption may have "peaked." Supporting this notion of a flattening in the web services adoption rate, Evans' researchers also point to their stats which show fully one-fifth of all respondents (21%) may take more than 2 years to deploy web services, id ever.

Web Services in Detail
Question: When do you expect to deploy web services at your company?

Survey Results:
  • Currently 35%;
  • Within 6 months 14%;
  • 6-12 months 13%;
  • 12-24 months 14%;
  • More than 24 months 10%;
  • Never 11%

    • II. SOA-Driven Infrastructure
    Evans found that more than two-thirds (67%) of all architects/devs claim SOA (or web services) will be a "critical infrastructure standard" for them -- but it may take up to five years for users to feel comfortable.

    Researchers also suggest that for SOA to gain such a majority of mindshare, vendors need to forge ahead with efforts to agree on SOA/web services standards. Such a standards-based approach to SOA/web services, Evans said, would enable users to set strategic or tactical infrastructure directions.

    SOA Infrastructure in Detail
    Question: Where do you see web services/SOA in 5 years?

    Survey Results:
  • Fully integrated with other IT services 67%;
  • Not integrated at all 17%; and
  • Outsourced for specific areas 15%

    • III. Java/.NET Interop (Intermixing)
    As to the arena of getting Java and .NET to work better with one another, Evans found some surprising differences of opinion. In fact, Evans research shows almost equal numbers of architects/devs that hate, love or have no opinion about the idea.

    "Many developers (or companies) are influenced by this love/hate relationship [between the worlds of Sun's Java and Microsoft's .NET], Evans said. "The lines appear to be drawn, and [Java and .NET] camps appear almost evenly split."

    Java/.NET Interop (Intermixing) in Detail
    Question: Do you feel Java and .NET applications will have to intermix in your company in the future?

    Survey Result:
  • Absolutely 13%;
  • Probably 28%;
  • No opinion 19%;
  • Probably not 23%; and
  • Absolutely not 14%


    • Click here for more info on Evans' Fall 2005 North American Developer Survey, including a Table of Contents.


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