'service-oriented' originates from the combination of 'service' and 'oriented', where 'service' refers to the act of helping or doing work for someone, and 'oriented' means directed towards a particular goal or focus.

'service-oriented' evolved from the concept of 'service' in the 14th century, combined with 'oriented' from the 19th century, to describe a focus on service provision.

Initially, it meant 'focused on providing service', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.