What does "service-oriented architecture" (SOA) support in APM?

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a design principle that encourages the use of loosely-coupled services to support the integration and communication of different applications over a network. In the context of Application Portfolio Management (APM), SOA facilitates the interaction between various software applications by allowing them to exchange data and functionality seamlessly.

This fosters agility and flexibility, as applications can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently, while still being capable of communicating with one another. SOA promotes reusability of services, enabling organizations to leverage existing capabilities to meet new business requirements without the need for extensive rework. Consequently, in APM, this architecture is crucial for streamlining processes, enhancing collaboration, and optimizing the overall application portfolio to meet evolving business needs.

In contrast, other options reflect conditions that do not align with the principles of SOA. For instance, stagnation in application functionality and isolation of application development processes would hinder the adaptive capabilities inherent to an SOA approach, while restrictions on application integration directly oppose the fundamental purpose of SOA, which aims to enhance communication and interconnectivity among applications.