Microsoft realizes Burton Group's Infrastructure Services Model

Blogger: Chris Haddad

Microsoft's recent public release of BizTalk Services is a bold next step for a company whose mantra has been 'embrace and extend'. BizTalk services embraces service consumers and providers executing on non-Windows platforms while extending Windows/BizTalk capabilities onto the network.

I'm glad to see validation of Burton Group's Network Applicaton Platform (NAP) and Infrastructure Services Model (ISM) concepts. Several years ago, Burton Group introduced the term Network Application Platform to describe the new mechanics of distributed application design and execution. The fundamental concept is that the operating system (OS) is moving out of the confines of a single box and migrating onto the network.

Back in Spring of 2005, the Burton Group APS team proposed the Infrastructure Services Model. We noted creating a boundary-less infrastructure for SOA requires a wide variety of infrastructure services. Infrastructure functionality should be externalized from proprietary application platforms into reusable services that can be accessed and shared by all applications. An illustration of the ISM is provided below:

The Microsoft team picked up on this concept, developed a new product, and is presenting BizTalk services into the market. Microsoft's realization of the ISM will provide new market opportunities for companies looking to capitalize on SaaS and MSP business models. We look forward to tracking advancements in this exciting new domain area.