Future of SCA after Java EE 6 ?

JSR 316 has been approved to create Java EE (version 6) specification, which is targeted to ship in 2008. (Link: JSR 316)

The scope of Java EE 6 includes the SCA-defined facilities. As per the JSR, the scope of Java EE 6 related to SOA is:

• SOA Support
  The Java EE platform is already widely used for SOA applications. As more and more enterprises realize the benefits of a SOA architecture, requirements on the platform have increased, both in terms of functionality and interoperability. 
  
  The Service Component Architecture is defining facilities that could be used by composite applications in a SOA environment. This expert group will consider whether any of the SCA-defined facilities are appropriate for inclusion in this release of the Java EE platform.

IBM and BEA are working together to make SCA technology as an alternative or replacement to existing Java EE technology. SCA is being promoted as a new framework to create services and components. It provides IoC containers and framework to create composite components. However, the current specification does not provide all facilities provided by Java EE (transaction, JNDI, connection-pooling, object-pooling, JCA, web-container etc.). So, the current version of SCA cannot be a replacement of Java EE. It can be used to create new services only.

Java EE is a mature technology being used by almost all Java based system for last several years. The customers are comfortable with this technology. Introducing new technology has its own challenges, risks and cost. Until there is a profit in moving to the new technology, which would require new software license, hardware, money, time, and resources, a CEO or CTO of an enterprise would not take a decision in favor of it.

The new version of Java EE 6 specification includes the new facilities offered by SCA to create new services. IBM and BEA should be building these new facilities in their application servers. With this, SCA may not provide any new facility, and there may not be a business case for an enterprise to build new services/ solutions based on SCA. Lets wait and see what IBM & BEA are doing with SCA.