BPM-EAI

In the world of Enterprise IT, there is plethora of hardware choices that one can make, like mainframes, blade servers etc. with different capabilities based on the RAM, ROM and other peripherals one chooses, from different manufacturers. Likewise in the world of TVs there are many options ranging from Plasma, LCD, CRT based TV and manufactures ranging from ‘Chinese’ assembled to Sony or Samsung.

In the world of Enterprise IT, there are many out-of-the-box applications one can chose from or can have facility to build one from ground up. In the world of TVs we have the option of choosing the channels à la carte to a predefined set of channels given by the Direct-To-Home provider.

However, as long as the software and hardware meet certain requirements, it doesn’t matter which application is running on which hardware. A CRM application can run on mainframe, while a payroll application can run on Wintel based system - provided they adhere to certain standards mutually agreed upon.

Likewise, the channel the household subscribes is not dependant on the type of Television owned by the household. (Now do not say that Discovery HD cannot be rendered properly on a CRT based TV; but can make an impact on Plasma based TV). My whole point here is: *as long as the channels and the TV are built upon the standards of encoding the content, which are agreed upon, any TV can subscribe to any channel. Now we look at the guiding principles of SOA and how it applies to our TV at home. *

Loosely Coupled: Most of the TV sets in the world are manufactured to work with any format of broadcast and rarely does one see a TV set that is manufactured for only one particular channel. As long as the TV set adheres to the “common standard” the TV can be used to watch your favorite program on your favorite channel.

Standards Based: Most of the TV sets are based on the SCART defined reception mechanisms.

Abstracted: One need not know the internal working of the signal transmission, as long as they enjoy watching the program.

Composable: One can route the audio to surround speakers and project the screen on to a different screen/projector based on the needs. They can compose the way in which the channel needs to be viewed.

Modular: Most the components of the TV and the Satellite transmission are in form of modules, which one can replace on need basis. Like the audio booster, can be replaced without affecting the overall functioning of the TV set. This modularity that we see in the consumer electronics is a deliberate one, done with precision by skilled engineers. The right plug is accepted by the right port, which is the true definition of plug-and-play. We in Information Technology, still lag behind in brining this to the software world. In an ideal world, SOA services should be purely plug-and-play leading to instant enterprise mashups with a very low entry barrier.

Last but not the least, the control of the system is in the hands of business, not in hands of IT and can change dynamically based on the market needs. Remote Control of the TV is in hands of users, so to change a channel, one need not call a technician to do it, but a press of a button changes the channel. And also to change the channel from cartoons to live telecast of super-bowl, additional hardware is not needed, nor any installation of additional software; just a flick of a button.

Unlike SOA, where any application can be a consumer and provider at the same time, TV sets are currently only consumers, may be tomorrow there may be some sets, which also act as providers.