Accenture will reportedly invest $450 million over the next three years to accelerate the growth of its service-oriented architecture (SOA) capabilities. The plan includes a new R&D lab, a blueprint for SOA implementation, and expanding Accenture’s portfolio of cross-industry offerings.

According to a press release, the Accenture Technology Lab for SOA Innovation will accelerate the development of SOA applications customized for specific industries. The new tools and methods will help reshape legacy computer systems into applications that deliver the full benefits of a service-oriented architecture.

The new lab will build reusable modules by using domain-specific language and model-driven development. The lab will also identify potential SOA problems during development and address them before SOA solutions are commercialized. The lab will initially focus on the healthcare industry.

Blueprint for SOA implementation, comprise a scale that divides implementation into four levels. According to Accenture, most SOA initiatives today fall into the first two levels. While maturation begins in the third level, full benefits are realized in level four. The new lab will contribute to the development of level-four applications.

Accenture’s SOA initiative also includes the Experimental Software Environment which will be used as a test bed in the Accenture Technology Lab for SOA Innovation.

More information is available at Accenture.

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Anuradha Shukla is a contributing writer for TMCnet covering call centers, CRM and information technology.