SOA Software announced that it has certified Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) within the Microsoft .NET Framework as Governed Service Platforms. This allows customers to confidently use the .NET Framework, which includes WCF, as part of a heterogeneous enterprise SOA environment sharing services with other commercial SOA platforms like SAP NetWeaver, IBM WebSphere, BEA, and Oracle, as well as RedHat and other open source providers.

Certified Governed Service Platform status means that customers can be confident that their platforms will not compromise the fidelity of the governance systems and structures defined in an enterprise SOA program. The certification process ensures that Governed Service Platforms can implement and enforce governance policies providing reporting data to enable a closed-loop audit process.

Microsoft customers add SOA Software's Integrated SOA Governance Automation solution to the .NET Framework:

• Ensure that services they identify, design and build using Windows Communication Foundation are relevant to and consumable by applications they design, build and deploy using other platforms like SAP and IBM.
• Make services they expose from applications running on .NET-based applications and WCF visible to and compliant with enterprise policies defined, enforced and audited across other platforms; and make services they design and build using other platforms like SAP and open source environments visible to and compliant with enterprise policies defined, enforced and audited across their .NET Framework applications.
• Promote, ensure and formalize consistent alignment between demand from service consumers and the supply of services through Consumer Contract Provisioning.

SOA Software's platform-independent Integrated SOA Governance Automation solution promotes the use of best-practices throughout an enterprise SOA program regardless of where services and consumers are designed, built, deployed and operated. SOA Software's Solutions integrate with the Microsoft SOA and business process solutions including: .NET Framework, Microsoft BizTalk Server, Visual Studio and Team Foundation Server.

"The certification of Governed Service Platforms advances the discipline of Integrated SOA Governance Automation," said Frank Martinez, executive vice president of SOA Software. "Microsoft customers are quickly using WCF to build enterprise SOA applications, this certification gives them the confidence that the enterprise adoption of WCF with SOA Software's products will preserve the fidelity of the governance models, structures and mechanisms supporting their enterprise SOA program."

"SOA Software's certification compliments Microsoft's continued commitment to delivering a governed enterprise SOA platform for our customers," said Burley Kawasaki, director of product management for Microsoft Corporation. "By working closely with SOA Software as part of our Business Process Alliance, customers can confidently deploy BizTalk Server, the .NET Framework, and other Microsoft SOA platform components as part of a comprehensive integrated SOA governance solution."

SOA Software and Microsoft
Microsoft customers use SOA Software for seamless, heterogeneous SOA Governance, Security and Management functionality with their Microsoft applications to ensure interoperability across disparate partners and platforms.

SOA Software's products deliver mission-critical SOA governance capabilities to Microsoft .NET Framework and BizTalk Server customers. They provide: Closed-loop Governance, Uniform Policy Management, Heterogeneous Governance Automation, Dynamic Policy Enforcement and Implementation, and Trust Mediation and Bridging.