http://www.convenso.com/ en erwin.buggenhout@convenso.com Copyright {entry_date format="%Y"} {entry_date format="%Y-%m-%dT%H:%i:%s%Q"} http://www.convenso.com/en/news/detail/soa_doesnt_have_to_be_a_big_bang/ http://www.convenso.com/en/news/detail/soa_doesnt_have_to_be_a_big_bang/ For many CIOs a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a top priority. At the same time, form many CIOs it turns out a complete nightmare. The reason is often that it is too large in scope, too much of a big bang, whereas it is perfectly possible to implement SOA step by step.The difficult path towards making things easy Many SOAs are implemented in order to make IT or transparent. The service based architecture indeed allows to access new functionality or existing components in a far more easy and flexible way. Nevertheless, making things easier seems to be a hell of a job. The way to simplicity seems to be paved with difficulties, slowing SOA projects down considerably or even leading them into a dead end street. A SOA projects usually comes down to implementing a so-called Enterprise Service Bus (ESB), a middleware platform in which services can be created, orchestrated and managed. Often this serice bus implementation is a huge project that finally leads to the implementation of big, beautiful but empty black box. The real work, that is creating services on the bus and orchestrating business processes with them, has not even started. A solution based approach to your SOA transitionQuite some CIOs consider SOA a new paradigm, a new philosophy on how solutions should be built. From that point of view, their adherence to a big bang SOA approach is understandable. Nevertheless, such an approach rarely leads to the desired results. It might be better to consider First which processes within the company have most interest in a SOA approach. Obviously these processes will be those that differentiate your company from your competitors and/or are most subject to change. Introducing SOA for these processes will make your company more responsive to changing circumstances, which gives you a competitive edge. After a successful implementation of the SOA approach to these key processes, other processes may follow one at a time. Maybe an even better approach to implementing SOA, is the solution based approach. Imagine that you can solve a business issue by implementing a SOA based integration platform that already contains a number of predefined services. Such a platform would make it easy to build any solution you might need, with extremely low time-to-market. So no empty box, but a box of Lego bricks to build any castle you could dream of. Preformed combinations in the integration platform allow you to build even faster. When the Lego box already contains a tower and a drawbridge, your castle will be ready even sooner.   Actions speak louder than words A big hurdle for SOA success often is lack of management support. CIOs don’t succeed in translating their enthusiasm about SOA into the Board’s language. A language in which time equals money, and in which long term ICT investment plans often meet a great deal of skepticism. To demonstrate short time-to-market and high return on investment, a first successful small-scope SOA project can be a blessing. At least if the project leads to the desired results in a significantly short time. That can be obtained by implementing a solution built with predefined services orchestrated in a SOA based integration platform. Once the first step is taken, and the management has seen what service oriented architecture can do, there will be far less resistance to a SOA based approach in challenges to come. 2008-05-08T09:43:33+00:00 http://www.convenso.com/en/news/detail/three_new_faces_at_convenso/ http://www.convenso.com/en/news/detail/three_new_faces_at_convenso/ Over the past two months, three new employees have joined the Convenso team. Erwin Buggenhout has become responsible for marketing and communications, graphical designer Sofie Verreyken designs websites and application layouts and developer Stieven Hultermans has reinforced the Convenso project team . Erwin Buggenhout Erwin Buggenhout (31) has taken up marketing and communications. In recent years, he worked for KMO-IT, where he set up ICT awareness campaigns directed towards small and medium businesses. “In that function I had the opportunity to discuss ICT with hundreds of small business owners”, Erwin says, “it occurred to me that sooner or later all of them find themselves placed before the immense challenge of integrating their ICT solutions. Of the many dozens of ICT solution providers I came across, Convenso undoubtedly provides the most complete and SMB friendly answer to the integration challenge.” Sofie Verreyken Sofie Verreyken (25) is graphical designer websites and applications at Convenso. Earlier she worked as a graphical designer for Het Laatste Nieuws and as graphical project manager for Check-it, where she managed complete advertising campaigns for small and medium businesses. "I enjoy being responsible for projects and showing creative initiative together with customers", Sofie states, "Convenso has given me the chance to fully deploy that sense of creative initiative and offers a great opportunity to work with a team of developers offering unlimited possibilities.” Sofie clearly has more than enough reasons to join Convenso. Stieven Hultermans Stieven Hultermans (32) has joined the project team. A couple of years ago, he discovered his passion for information and communication technology. He immediately took this late vocation to practice and swiftly obtained a graduate degree in Information Technology. Why he leaves his job at Dupont de Nemours for a new challenge at Convenso? “From day one I have been given the opportunity to live out my fascination for programming and already I have felt the pleasure of operating in a great development team. It’s really awesome how Convenso offers me framework to quickly become the ICT specialist I dreamt to become.” 2008-05-08T08:56:13+00:00 http://www.convenso.com/en/news/detail/visit_convenso_at_b2b_days_2008_certipost_day_and_system_iexpo/ http://www.convenso.com/en/news/detail/visit_convenso_at_b2b_days_2008_certipost_day_and_system_iexpo/ June 2008 will be a very busy month with plenty of opportunities to come visit Convenso at different headquarters in Hamme, you will be able to meet us at three trade shows. 5 en 6 June 2008 – Antwerp Expo (B) B2B-days 2008 Don’t miss our yearly appointment at the B2B-days in Antwerp, Belgium. The main objective of this networking event is to facilitate contacts between entrepreneurs in the Antwerp-Waasland region in Flanders. Are you a local entrepreneur or do you wish to get in touch with business people in this region, than please do not hesitate to drop by. Especially since one of the main focuses of this year’s edition will be information and communication technology. Visit us at boot A124. 12 June 2008 – Brussels Airport Skyhall, Zaventem(B) Certipost Day “Fly with us to the future” Certipost celebrates its fifth anniversary with a beautiful seminar on electronic document management and security, organized at Brussels National Airport. Renowned keynote speakers such as Mr Johnny Thys (De Post – La Poste) and Rudy Thomaes (VBO) make a visit to this seminar very worthwhile. While you are there, please drop by at the Convenso boot. 24 en 25 June 2008 – Center Parcs De Eemhof, Zeewolde (NL) System iExpo Convenso always takes part in the System iExpo, a co-organization of System iMagazine,the Dutch chapter of COMMON and IBM Netherlands. System iExpo is the biggest independent System i event in the Benelux. If you have system i in your server room, don’t hesitate to enroll. Feel free to pay us a visit at boot 20. 2008-05-08T08:54:12+00:00 http://www.convenso.com/en/news/detail/convenso_partner_invenso_is_microsoft_gold_certified_partner/ http://www.convenso.com/en/news/detail/convenso_partner_invenso_is_microsoft_gold_certified_partner/ Invenso has met the Gold Certified Partner requirements and has been upgraded to Gold Certified Partner level. XBintegrator met the requirements of the Microsoft Software testings. Therefor, Invenso has achieved the ISV/Software Solutions Competency. Together with the other competency we already achieved in the past, Information Worker Solutions Competency, Invenso has been upgraded to the Golder Certified Partner level. ISV/Software Solutions Gold Certified Partners that are specialized in developing and marketing packaged software solutions based on Microsoft technologies. Information Worker Solutions The Information Worker Solutions Competency offers customers the guaratee that Invenso has the knowledge and skills to build Microsoft Solutions. Two members of Invenso's technical team passed the exams required for the Office Smart Client Development Specialization. 2007-06-06T08:53:41+00:00 http://www.convenso.com/en/news/detail/convenso_website_in_english/ http://www.convenso.com/en/news/detail/convenso_website_in_english/ As of today, the Convenso website is also available in the English version. 2007-05-21T08:52:29+00:00