title: RIA Services versus WCF services: what is a difference
body: <p>There are a lot of information how to build Silverlight application using .NET RIA services, but it isn't clear what is unique thing in RIA that is absent in WCF?</p>
  
  <p>Here are few topics that are talking around this topic: <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1647225/ria-services-versus-wcf-services">[1]</a>, <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/945123/net-ria-services-wcf-services">[2]</a></p>
  
  <p>But they doesn't give an answer to the question.</p>
  
  <p>Sorry for the stupid question, but what does <code>RIA Services</code> layer bring into your app if you already have <code>Silverlight &lt;--&gt; WCF Service &lt;--&gt; Business Logic &lt;--&gt; Entity Framework Model &lt;--&gt; Database</code>? Authentication? Validation? Is it relly asset for you?</p>
  
  <p>At the moment the only thing I see: with RIA services usage you don't need to host WCF service manually and don't need to configure any references on the client side (clien side == Silverlight application).</p>
  
  <p>Probably I don't know some very useful features of the RIA Services? So could you please point me to the good doc for that?</p>
  
  <p>Many thanks.</p>
  
  <p>P.S. I've read a lot of different articles about differences, but can't clarify it... all articles "tell around" and aren't concrete. If you are going to give me a link to additional article, could you please be so kind and provide a list of benefits that YOU see.</p>