"Service-orientation" often assumes the status of being something very grand and, well, expensive, but that is not always the case.

Take the latest iteration of the MindTouch tool, Deki Wiki, which allows users to integrate external services as and when required.

Known, for some reason, as Deki Wiki "Hayes", the new version is aimed at the non-technical user and has been specifically designed to make it easy for developers to add the Wiki to their own applications.

This is through the addition of an API which allows it to integrate with other applications using XML, JSON, or PHP. It is built on Novell's Mono platform, which makes it both language and system agnostic. This gives it what the company claims is among the most flexible deployment options available.

The most interesting and exploitable addition to be found in "Hayes", however, is a service-oriented extension model which can surface web applications and services within the Wiki. This allows extensions to be hosted anywhere while operating on Wiki content to present it in alternative formats, such as images, charts or graphs.

Deki Wiki ships with several extension services, including Microsoft Windows Live services, maps, Widgetbox widgets, and photo effects.

Other features added to Hayes include support for multiple authentication services, including OpenLDAP, Drupal, Active Directory, Wordpress, and Joomla; full skinning and customisation capabilities; tagging, chronological tagging, and tag categories; media gallery and image tools; and support for embedding rich media like videos and widgets.

Hayes is an open source tool available under a GNU General Public Licence and can be downloaded here. There is also a developer community for support, advice and cuddles. ®