The 3 Step Real World SOA approach

Expose or create new services

Compose or orchestrate these services into larger processes

Consume or make the outputs available for use by the business user

1) Expose (Service Enablement): You begin with first leveraging the existing core assets you already have, and exposing them as services. The systems are likely on heterogeneous platforms provided by different vendors. The Microsoft set of development tools such as Visual Studio and the .NET Framework along with leadership support of standards like web-services make this phase easier. Microsoft Biztalk server adapters can also help to expose services from packaged applications

2) Compose (Orchestration and Workflow): The next step is to compose these services together to create the required business process or application. This recognizes that it is critical that business users see a new or improved process which will achieve business agility or process improvement. Microsoft .Net Framework and BizTalk Server along with other tools like SQL Server for data management and Microsoft SharePoint Server, provide a comprehensive ability for you to compose the exposed services into a manageable and monitorable flexible business process

3) Consume (Productivity/Innovation): The services and composed processes are of no business value unless these result in some type of end-user benefits – an application that results in new business capability or improved productivity. This is what the business cares about, and what they will use to measure the success of their investments in SOA. This application could be a Web application (portal or otherwise), rich client, an Office business application, or even a mobile device. With the leadership that Microsoft has in providing a rich user experience, tools like the .Net framework help businesses become more efficient and effective without extensive training to business users on how to use the new process