What key aspect defines a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)?

A key aspect that defines a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is the interaction between services over a network. This architectural style enables various services to communicate and interact with each other, often across different platforms and programming languages. In SOA, services are loosely coupled, meaning that they can evolve independently and can be reused in different applications. This interaction typically occurs through standard protocols, allowing for interoperability and facilitating better integration of diverse software systems.

Encouraging services to interact over networks allows organizations to develop flexible and scalable systems that can integrate various functionalities seamlessly. As systems grow and change, SOA promotes agility by allowing new services to be added or existing ones modified without affecting the overall architecture significantly.