In the book Michael argues that the modern way of thinking about Service Orientation opens up new possibilities for Business and IT to construct business-oriented customer-centric convergent solutions for business problems. The Service Orientation concept has the potential not only to align IT with Business, but also to align the entire company with the market dynamics. A Service-Oriented Enterprise - SOE - is the organisation constructed and operated based on the principles of Service Orientation throughout Business and Technology. In the Service-Oriented Enterprise, many familiar aspects of the organisation's life appear differently. This is why the book talks about the most important of them, such as: Business-Technology relationship Organisation's structure and culture Management authority and accountability Innovations, development funding, and ROI Governance of service-oriented solutions (SOS) IT, Programme, and Project management (ITIL) Enterprise Architecture in Business and Technology (TOGAF) Modelling, design, and development practice (DOSOM and DDD) The transition to SOE is a collaborative process of many mounting steps. SOE cannot happen instantaneously because it demands some changes in the organisation and execution of Business and IT operations; it also requires new habits of thinking in the service-oriented manner. This book is indented to help you recognise the ladder steps to SOE, why and who has to take them. Though these steps are common, each company has to choose its own way of climbing the ladder.