1. At a computer system, a method of initiating a channel runtime, the method comprising: an act of accessing an annotated object oriented representation of a service, the annotated object oriented representation being annotated with service description attributes that map objects included in the object oriented representation to corresponding service oriented elements in a service oriented representation of the service; an act of identifying a service description attribute that annotates an object of the annotated object oriented representation; an act of mapping the object to a corresponding service oriented element in accordance with service description information contained in the identified service description attribute; an act of outputting a channel object that is configured to implement the behaviors and data formats described in the service oriented representation; and an act of initiating a channel that is compatible with behaviors and data formats of the service.