The significance of service-oriented architecture (SOA) lies in its design approach that allows for building software applications as a collection of services that communicate over a network. This architecture promotes flexibility, scalability, and reusability of components, enabling organizations to adapt quickly to changing business needs. By decoupling services, SOA facilitates easier integration with existing systems and supports multi-platform environments. As a result, organizations can innovate faster and enhance collaboration among teams. Additionally, SOA fosters better alignment between IT and business strategies, improving overall operational efficiency and responsiveness.