5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first model elements define at least one of one or more service input parameters and one or more service output parameters.
1. A template-driven system for generating platform-specific artifacts from platform-independent service models, for implementing a service-oriented architecture the system comprising: a template storage with platform-specific templates, each template including platform-specific model transformation information; a repository with i. a plurality of platform-independent service model elements which are hierarchically structured and ii. two or more service models modeled from the service model elements wherein at least some of the service model elements are shared by two or more service models and wherein each service model is modeled from one or more first service model elements of a higher hierarchy level and one or more second service model elements of a lower hierarchy level and wherein an algorithm of a service model is specified by mappings between two or more service model elements; and a generator adapted to generate platform-specific artifacts by applying the platform-specific model transformation information included in the templates to the service models.