http://www.soamag.com The SOA Magazine is a monthly online publication provided by SOA Systems Inc. and Prentice Hall/PearsonPTR and is officially associated with the "Prentice Hall Service-Oriented Computing Series from Thomas Erl." SOA en-us Copyright 2008, SOA Systems Inc. http://www.soamag.com/I22/0908-1.asp This article will unravel the mystery surrounding data federation. What are the essential requirements for a data federation solution? How is data federation considered a stepping stone to a successful SOA? Why are both data quality and data profiling so critical in bringing about manageable data services? What's the impact of these emerging federation techniques on data warehousing and business intelligence applications? This article will answer these questions through industry data, architectural patterns in data integration, and compelling case studies that illustrate the importance of embracing data federation. SOA http://www.soamag.com/contributors/bio-dhansen.asp#When:22.09.08