In This Chapter

• A discussion of various, randomly chosen vendors that offer Web services products and services

• Vendors "profiled"

  • The three approaches described earlier will be illustrated using key vendors as examples

  • Category 1: Application server providers

    • Example 1: Turnkey application servers

      • Application server hardware/software/service providers

        • IBM (WebSphere), and Sun (ONE)

    • Example 2: Application server software (and sometimes service) providers

      • Microsoft (.NET) is described

      • Other suppliers, including IONA, Web Methods, Vitria, SeeBeyond, Tibco, Silverstream, Lucin, CapeClear, Crossworlds, Velocigen, Savvion, and ASPAlliance.com, fit in this category but are not covered.

  • Category 2: Building your own a la carte, point product Web services applications

    • Example 1: Point product tools and utilities

    • Example 2: Open-source Apache server

  • Category 3: Professional services firms that can help your organization build and maintain Web services applications