Today at the SOA Conference in Redmond Microsoft publicly announced Oslo. The next generation of Service Oriented Technologies that will be included in the next major wave of product releases.
Oslo will focus on two core areas: modeling and services.
While Oslo itself is not a product, it will most likely have modeling tools specific to building, monitoring, and deploying Oslo based solutions.
Oslo will introduce new service offerings with a strong focus on "cloud" based technologies – using BizTalk Services. But clients will still be able to leverage in house solutions.
Oslo will be part of upcoming releases of major software platforms including:
Visual Studio “10”
System Center “5”
BizTalk Server “6” (a.k.a. BizTalk vNext)
BizTalk Services “1” (yes, it will come out of beta someday)
.NET Framework “4”
What to do if you are an an existing BizTalk Developer?
I've heard it from many BizTalk developers I've worked with in the past years. What should we do with Work Flow replacing BizTalk? I'm sure the same people will be thinking… What should we do now with Oslo on the way?
I think this statement from the Directions on Microsoft document says it best:
"The most important product in the Oslo initiative is BizTalk Server V6, which will deliver a new messaging component based on Windows Communication Foundation and a new workflow engine based on the Windows Workflow Foundation"
Right now: Keeping working with BizTalk! With the understanding that down the road BizTalk will have enhanced support for WCF and WF. Make sure you give the Directions on Microsoft document a read and remember it is still early on in the cycle so really anything is possible right now.
Don't get scared… but we have to face the music that most likely Business Processes as we know it (Orchestrations) will be phased out and replaced with Work Flow. As I see it, this is a huge step forward and expands the boundaries on what is possible inside BizTalk Server.
Not since the release of BizTalk Server 2004 have I been so excited about an upcoming Microsoft product release!
We can expect to see some type of beta releases starting in 2008.
Full press release is here.