In some of the workflow scenarios, both BizTalk Server 2006 and WF satisfactorily meet the technical requirements. For these scenarios, making the right workflow-technology choice requires matching the solution to the needs of the specific organization. For the purposes of making recommendations that apply to your particular organization, we will use the Application Platform Infrastructure Optimization (APIO) model, as shown in Figure 3.
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Figure 3. Application Platform Infrastructure Optimization (APIO) model
The APIO model is a technique for profiling an organization's maturity with respect to its application infrastructure, architecture, and development practices. The goal of this model is to give organizations a road map for optimizing their agility in providing IT solutions to meet the needs of the business.
The APIO model uses the following four profiles of an organization's maturity:
- Basic—Organizations treat software as a cost. They have largely siloed applications with little integration or reuse. The applications that they do have might be on a variety of platforms. They do not have consistent standards for infrastructure or development techniques; they do not have a consistent architectural vision.
- Standardized—Organizations still treat software as a cost, but they have taken steps to improve efficiencies. They have an architectural vision and try to consider opportunities for reuse. They have started to integrate some applications, but they are mostly point-to-point integrations.
- Advanced—Organizations treat software as a business enabler. They have dedicated architects and a clear architectural vision. They have many services and achieve a high level of reuse. All core business processes are automated and monitored. They use a centralized, packaged integration platform.
- Dynamic—Organizations treat software as a strategic asset. They have a very mature SOA in vision and implementation. They have clear processes for dynamically versioning and redeploying services. The can quickly adapt to business requirements changes, and can quickly integrate with new business partners.
